George Frederic Still

Sir Frederic Still
Born George Frederic Still
(1868-02-27)27 February 1868
Died 28 June 1941(1941-06-28) (aged 73)
Fields Paediatrics
Known for Still's disease
Still's murmur

Sir George Frederic Still, KCVO (27 February 1868 – 28 June 1941) was an English paediatrician and author of numerous medical textbooks and articles who first described a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis as well as the common functional Still's murmur,[1] both of which bear his name, as well as being the first to describe ADHD.[2] He is frequently referenced as the "father of British paediatrics".

Early life

Still was born on 27 February 1868 in Highbury, London.[3] He was the second of twelve children born to George Still and his wife, Eliza Still (née Andrew).[4] To distinguish him from his father he was known by his middle name Frederic.[5] He was the eldest child and only son to survive to adulthood.[6]

He was awarded a scholarships to be educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, a boys public school in London.[4] He was from a working class family who would otherwise have not been able to afford the fees.[6] He was further awarded a scholarship to attend Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.[3] He matriculated in 1885 and studied the Classical Tripos.[4] He graduated with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1888.[3][4] Following that he moved to King's College London School of Medicine graduating in 1893.

Background

Blue plaque, 28 Queen Anne Street, London

In 1897, he published his doctoral thesis describing a form of childhood febrile arthritis today known as Still's disease. He was also the one to initially describe the symptoms of ADHD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Other medical terms named after him include Still's murmur and Still's rash.

During most of his adult life, Still's avocation was reading works from antiquity in their original languages. He was fluent in Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Arabic. His choice of profession, however, was medicine and he devoted his life to pediatrics, writing prolifically about childhood diseases and serving as Secretary of the Children's Clinical Club. His life was dedicated to improving afflicted children's chance at survival, and particularly patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital. He was knighted upon retiring in 1937.

Death

George Frederic Still died in Salisbury at the age of 73.

References

  1. ↑ Still, George Frederick (1909). Common Disorders and Diseases of Childhood. London: Hodder and Stoughton. pp. 434–435. ASIN B006PCYAWQ.
  2. ↑ Connor, Daniel F. (11 August 2011). "Problems of Overdiagnosis and Overprescribing in ADHD". Psychiatric Times. UBM Medica.
  3. 1 2 3 Farrow, S. J. (June 2006). "Sir George Frederick Still (1868–1941)". Rheumatology. 45 (6): 777–78. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kei166. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Piller, G. J. (2004). "Still, Sir (George) Frederic (1868–1941)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Obituaries: Sir Frederic Still". The Times. 1 July 1941. p. 7.
  6. 1 2 Dunn, P. M. (12 April 2006). "Sir Frederic Still (1868-1941): the father of British paediatrics". Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 91 (4): F308–F310. PMC 2672740 Freely accessible. PMID 16790738. doi:10.1136/adc.2005.074815.

Still, GF "Some abnormal psychical conditions in children: The Goulstonian Lectures." The Lancet, 1902 1:1008-1012.

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