Mr John Dunbar (d. c. 1965), Surgeon

This material is held atRoyal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Archives

  • Reference
    • GB 250 98
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1942-1946
  • Physical Description
    • 5 items

Scope and Content

Instruction manual and papers relating to Singer surgical stitching instrument; glass lantern slides of head sections by William Macewen; photographic negatives of slides; poem booklet from Dunbar's patient at GRI.

Administrative / Biographical History

John Dunbar was a graduate of Glasgow University, graduating MB ChB in 1916. He became a Fellow of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 1933. He was a Consultant Surgeon at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the last general surgeon to have a male ward in the basement of the hospital, Ward 22. Dunbar, a larger than life character, was widely known as "the beast in the basement." He was one of the last surgeons to use a fixed bladed scalpel.

Access Information

Access to some items may be restricted. Please contact Heritage staff at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Related Material

Singer surgical stitching instrument museum accession: 2005.10