Wilson was the son of Dr Arthur Cobden Jordan Wilson (see above). He studied medicine at the University of Manchester, and graduated in 1905. He developed anaesthetics as his speciality and was soon recognised as one of the leading practitioners of the day. He was anaesthetist at MRI, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and honorary anaesthetist at the Manchester and Salford Ear Hospital, Salford Royal Hospital and the Victoria Dental Hospital. In 1925 he was appointed lecturer in anaesthetics at the University of Manchester. Wilson was noted for his original research in anaesthetics, including work on ether convulsions and the use of nitrous oxide. He also undertook important work into mule spinners cancer (epithelioma).
Wilson died in 1927 as a result of experiments he was undertaking on the effects of nitrous oxide on the body. An inquest returned a verdict of accidental death