Thomas Graham Balfour (18 March 1813 – 17 January 1891) was a Scottish physician noted for his work with medical statistics, and a member of Florence Nightingale's inner circle.
Thomas Graham Balfour in the 1860s
Biographyedit
Balfour was born in Edinburgh on 18 March 1813. He was son of John Balfour, a merchant of Leith, and his wife Helen, daughter of Thomas Buchanan of Ardoch. He was the great-grandson of James Balfour, professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh in 1754, and of Robert Whytt, a celebrated medical writer and professor of physiology at Edinburgh. He graduated MD at Edinburgh in 1834; FRS, 1859; Surgeon-General, Honorary Physician to Queen Victoria and compiler of the first four volumes of Statistics of the British Army.[1] According to Francis de Chaumont, the publication of this statistical work "marked an epoch in hygiene".[2]
The Statistics of the British Army were reputed to be the most accurate and complete of their sort throughout Europe.[3]
From 1840 to 1848, Balfour served as assistant surgeon in the Grenadier Guards. In 1857 he was appointed secretary to Sidney Herbert's committee on the sanitary state of the army, and in 1859 he became deputy inspector-general in charge of the new statistical branch of the army medical department, a post which he held for fourteen years. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 3 June 1858, and in 1860 a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London.[1]
He along with Dr John Sutherland were secretaries to the Sanitary Section of the International Statistical Congress in 1860, which was attended by Adolphe Quetelet, and to which Florence Nightingale submitted a paper.
In 1887 he was appointed honorary physician to the queen. He was placed on half-pay as surgeon-general in 1876, and in his forty years of service had done much to improve the sanitary condition of the forces. He was President of the Royal Statistical Society from 1888 to 1890 shortly after it had changed from the Statistical Society of London.[4] He married in 1856 Georgina, daughter of George Prentice of Armagh, and had one son, Sir Graham Balfour. He died at Coombe Lodge, Wimbledon, on 17 January 1891.[1]
^De Chaumont, F. S. B. F. (9 June 1883). "An Address on the Origin and Development of the Science of Hygiene: Being the Inaugural Lecture at the Parkes Museum". BMJ. 1 (1171): 1104–1106. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.1171.1104. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC2372588. PMID 20750626. (See p. 1106.)
^Reznick, Jeffrey S. (2004). "Balfour, Thomas Graham (1813–1891), physician". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/1197. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^Balfour, Thomas Graham (19 November 1889). "The Opening Address of Dr. T. Graham Balfour, F.R.S., &c, Honorary Physician to Her Majesty the Queen, President of the Royal Statistical Society". Royal Statistical Society. 52 (4): 517–534. doi:10.2307/2979100. JSTOR 2979100.
thomas, graham, balfour, march, 1813, january, 1891, scottish, physician, noted, work, with, medical, statistics, member, florence, nightingale, inner, circle, 1860sbiography, editbalfour, born, edinburgh, march, 1813, john, balfour, merchant, leith, wife, hel. Thomas Graham Balfour 18 March 1813 17 January 1891 was a Scottish physician noted for his work with medical statistics and a member of Florence Nightingale s inner circle Thomas Graham Balfour in the 1860sBiography editBalfour was born in Edinburgh on 18 March 1813 He was son of John Balfour a merchant of Leith and his wife Helen daughter of Thomas Buchanan of Ardoch He was the great grandson of James Balfour professor of moral philosophy at Edinburgh in 1754 and of Robert Whytt a celebrated medical writer and professor of physiology at Edinburgh He graduated MD at Edinburgh in 1834 FRS 1859 Surgeon General Honorary Physician to Queen Victoria and compiler of the first four volumes of Statistics of the British Army 1 According to Francis de Chaumont the publication of this statistical work marked an epoch in hygiene 2 The Statistics of the British Army were reputed to be the most accurate and complete of their sort throughout Europe 3 From 1840 to 1848 Balfour served as assistant surgeon in the Grenadier Guards In 1857 he was appointed secretary to Sidney Herbert s committee on the sanitary state of the army and in 1859 he became deputy inspector general in charge of the new statistical branch of the army medical department a post which he held for fourteen years He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 3 June 1858 and in 1860 a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London 1 He along with Dr John Sutherland were secretaries to the Sanitary Section of the International Statistical Congress in 1860 which was attended by Adolphe Quetelet and to which Florence Nightingale submitted a paper In 1887 he was appointed honorary physician to the queen He was placed on half pay as surgeon general in 1876 and in his forty years of service had done much to improve the sanitary condition of the forces He was President of the Royal Statistical Society from 1888 to 1890 shortly after it had changed from the Statistical Society of London 4 He married in 1856 Georgina daughter of George Prentice of Armagh and had one son Sir Graham Balfour He died at Coombe Lodge Wimbledon on 17 January 1891 1 References edit a b c Moore 1901 De Chaumont F S B F 9 June 1883 An Address on the Origin and Development of the Science of Hygiene Being the Inaugural Lecture at the Parkes Museum BMJ 1 1171 1104 1106 doi 10 1136 bmj 1 1171 1104 ISSN 0959 8138 PMC 2372588 PMID 20750626 See p 1106 Reznick Jeffrey S 2004 Balfour Thomas Graham 1813 1891 physician Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 1197 Subscription or UK public library membership required Balfour Thomas Graham 19 November 1889 The Opening Address of Dr T Graham Balfour F R S amp c Honorary Physician to Her Majesty the Queen President of the Royal Statistical Society Royal Statistical Society 52 4 517 534 doi 10 2307 2979100 JSTOR 2979100 Attribution nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Moore Norman 1901 Balfour Thomas Graham In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography 1st supplement London Smith Elder amp Co Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Graham Balfour amp oldid 1210714425, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
