Sir William Arbuthnot-Lane, 1st Baronet
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Sir William ("Willie") Arbuthnot-Lane, 1st Baronet, Legion of Honour. (Fort George, Invernessshire 4 July 1856–16 January 1943) was a Scottish surgeon. Son of Brigade Surgeon Benjamin Lane.
Associated for most of his career with Guy’s Hospital, Lane is known particularly for three surgical procedures: treatment of the cleft palate, the application of internal splints to fractures using the aseptical ‘Lane technique’ and the treatment of chronic intestinal stasis. During the 1914-18 War he organised and opened Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, a pioneering institution in plastic surgery. This controversial surgeon had his name removed from the Medical Register, in order to promote the New Health Society (the first organised body to deal with social medicine) he had founded in 1925 to publicise his views on healthy diet and life, without being disciplined by the General Medical Council. He was an Irishman who was posted to Inverness, Scotland, who trained and later worked at Guy's Hospital in London. Lane is known for his attempts at improving alignment of fractures by using internal fixation. He started off using silver wire, then he used steel screws and this was followed by the use of plates and screws. Lane was said to have been eccentric, regarding humans as machines and performed total colectomies as a cure for "auto-intoxication". He also initiated the programmes of health education that are present today. Lane wrote columns in the newspapers, held public lectures and improved the distribution of fruit and vegetables.
Quotations include "The man whose first question after what he considers to be a right course of action has presented itself, is 'What will people say?' is not the man to do anything at all." "If everyone believes a thing it is probably untrue!" "If you get a rude letter, always send a polite one back. It's much better.".
Mercilessly parodied by George Bernard Shaw in The Doctor's Dilemma.
Married first Charlotte Jane Briscoe (died q2 1935 aged 78), dau of John Briscoe, son of Major Briscoe. They had issue. Sir William married second Hendon 25 September 1935 Jane Mutch (died Bridport q4 1966 aged 82), sister of Sir William's son-in-law, Nathan Mutch.
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| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: New Creation |
Baronet (of Cavendish Square) 1913–1943 |
Succeeded by: William Arbuthnot-Lane |
