Dr Thomas James Chalmers Macdonald
Personal Details
Dr Thomas James Chalmers Macdonald
13/07/1899 to 12/10/1966
Place of birth: Unknown
Nationality: British
CRN: 715502
Education and qualifications
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General education |
Educated in England, school unknown; Aberdeen University |
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Primary medical qualification(s) |
MB ChB, Aberdeen, 1924 |
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Initial Fellowship and type |
FFARCS by Election |
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Year of Fellowship |
1949 |
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Other qualification(s) |
MD (with commendation), Aberdeen, 1928; DA(RCP&S), 1938; PhD, Aberdeen, 1945 |
Professional life and career
Postgraduate career
After graduation MacDonald worked in Aberdeen’s Department of Materia Medica & Therapeutics, researching the pharmacology of general anaesthetic drugs. After acquiring his MD he entered general practice, but anaesthetics continued to be his main interest and he built up a busy hospital and dental practice. Gazetted Lieutenant in 1928 he served in the TA, and during WW2 was responsible for a regional first-aid post. One of the first four NHS consultants appointed in 1948 he continued in that post until retirement in 1964.
Professional interests and activities
A widely experienced anaesthetist, especially for dentistry, his research on halogenated anaesthetic agents and equipment for their delivery is notable for the time and a matter worthy of more detailed investigation. It is presumed that his research continued in parallel with his clinical career because his PhD was not awarded until 1945, and the studies were the subject of his Presidential (1952-3) Address to the Scottish Society. He also served on the Board of the BJA.
Other biographical information
MacDonald had many outside interests: fencing & riding early on, and fishing, shooting & collection of antiques in later years. He was married with one daughter.
Author and Sources
Author: Prof Tony Wildsmith
Sources and any other comments: [1] Obituary. The Lancet 1966; 2: 1200 [2] Levack ID, Dudley HAF (Eds). Aberdeen Royal Infirmary: The People’s Hospital of the North-East. Aberdeen: Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society, 1992 [3] McKenzie AG. The Centenary of the Scottish Society of Anaesthetists 1914-2014 I thank Dr Iain Levack for reviewing the script.