The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7160 p213 11 August, 2001

The Society

Obituaries & tributes

Blau On 22 July, Joseph Mannie Blau, MRPharmS, of 20 Peaketon Avenue, Redbridge, Ilford, Essex IG4 5PG. Mr Blau registered in 1951. Davis On 20 May, Laura Elizabeth Davis, née Charnock, of 15 Firs Road, Edwalton, Nottingham NG12 4BY. Mrs Davis registered in 1942 and retired from the register in 1986. Saxelby On 19 April, Albert Ernest Saxelby, of 13 Hallgate, Diseworth, Derby DE74 2QJ. Mr Saxelby registered in 1933 and retired from the register in 1973. Thomas On 25 July, Vernon Lloyd Thomas, MRPharmS, of 10 Milborough Road, Ystalyfera, Swansea SA9 2AB. Mr Thomas registered in 1943. Trenowden On 23 July, Francis James Trenowden, MRPharmS, of 35 Bedford Road, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1SP, aged 101 years. Mr Trenowden registered in 1921. Verma On 23 July, Naresh Kumar Verma, MRPharmS, of 35 Queen Ediths Way, Cambridge CB1 4PT. Mr Verma registered in 1979.

Tribute Marshall In a tribute to the late Alexander Marshall (PJ, 21 July, p105), VICTOR HAMMOND writes: Because Alex Marshall qualified as a pharmacist just two months before the outbreak of the 1939–45 war, he was only called up as a “Bevin Boy” in 1942 and soon found himself along with half a dozen other pharmacists in an intake of 150 drafted into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 11th Battalion. The pharmacists received a wonderful spell of training on the outskirts of Sumburgh aerodrome in the Shetland Isles before travelling 1,000 miles south to the Royal Army Medical Corps training depot at Boyce Barracks, Hampshire. After this further course of training they were posted to various camp reception stations. It was then (1943) that Alex wrote his one and only contribution to The Pharmaceutical Journal after tolerating the “efforts” of young medical officers. He suggested that therapeutics should be incorporated in the pharmacy curriculum at colleges and he wrote that “Events proved that so — years after!” Alex’s first move into action was to North Africa in time for Operation Avalanche and the beaches of Salerno. He had to be evacuated from 56 London Division by an American amphibious vehicle to the hospital ship St Julian. The ship’s voyage resulted in a move to a general hospital in Phillipville, where he “helped in the dispensary as a sort of recuperation before being posted back to Italy”. Six weeks later he joined 185 Field Ambulance from the Volturno to the Gothic Line. He managed to get transferred to a general hospital and saw service in Rome — something very different from his previous experiences, including first handling penicillin. During this time he spent a month or two helping out at a prisoner of war centre in Bari, at their military intelligence centre. Fortunately, like many wartime pharmacists he understood the plight of those who were then the enemy. While there he met a German sailor who had been taken prisoner at Corfu and kept in touch with him even after he had returned home. In 1945, after VE [Victory in Europe] Day, he sailed from Naples for the United Kingdom on board the Asconia, but his troubles were not over because between Capri and the Sorrento peninsula he “took a chill in the kidneys” and was stretchered off by ship’s crane. When he returned to the UK it was as a patient in Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool. Roberts In a tribute to the late Hugh Vincent Roberts (PJ, 21 July, p105), Dr JUANITA BURNBY writes: As the recent editor of The Pharmaceutical Historian, I was indeed sorry to read of the death of Hugh Vincent Roberts. He wrote for the British Society for the History of Pharmacy two splendid articles, “The 18th century pharmacy at 60 High Street, Tenterden, Kent” (Vol 28, No 3, October 1998) and “Mr Gulliver’s letter book: a Belgravia pharmacy 100 years ago” (Vol 30, No 1, March 2000). He showed us that patient counselling in pharmacies has always been the norm, as was supplying medicines by post or carrier; there was also detailed discussion with local doctors. There is nothing new in what the present Government and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society are urging us to do. We have always done it. Robinson In a tribute to the late Charles Walter Robinson (PJ, 4 August, p176), W. T. BROOKES writes: The death of Charles Walter Robinson ends a personal link between the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists and the pharmaceutical industry of nearly 50 years. It was in 1956 that a senior pharmacy manager with the then Evans Medical, E. L. T. Clark, put forward a proposal that the company should make an annual award to hospital pharmacists in accordance with rules to be drawn up at the council of the Guild of Public Pharmacists, as it was then known. Charles Robinson was at that time a director of Evans and he took the idea to his board. The proposal was agreed, on the understanding that the company itself would play no part in the selection of the recipients, and it was Charles himself, in company with Mr Clark, who presented the first Evans gold medals on 31 May 1958. Despite changes in style and name of the company, the medal continues to be a unique link between the guild and the pharmaceutical industry. For this we must thank a pharmacist and a gentleman, Charles Robinson. Russell In a tribute to the late John Hedley Russell (PJ, 10 February p183), VERNON THOMPSON writes: John Russell was one of a rapidly diminishing breed — the “good old fashioned family chemist”. He practised his art in a truly professional manner, especially as a “front shop” pharmacist treating symptoms and minor ailments using common sense, experience and the odd nostrum. John entered pharmacy by serving an apprenticeship with Frazer & Green in Glasgow and studied at the Royal Technical College (now the University of Strathclyde), qualifying as a chemist and druggist in 1940. Following this he managed a pharmacy in the Gorbals, Glasgow, where he experienced not only the squalor and seamy side of life but also the dry native wit and humour of that part of the city. In 1942 he joined the army and served with the 7th Armoured Division (the Desert Rats) of the Eighth Army from the battle of El Alamein to Italy and from the D-day landings in Normandy to Berlin. While in the desert the literary side of his character emerged, and he began writing philosophical poetry. One poem was published in the local newspaper in his home town. On demobilisation he elected to live in East Anglia and managed pharmacies in Ipswich and Newmarket before purchasing a pharmacy in Soham, Cambridgeshire. At this time he was much involved in the affairs of the local branch of the Pharmaceutical Society and chaired the Cambridgeshire branch from 1970 to 1971. After 18 years in Soham he sold his pharmacy and moved to Mildenhall, Suffolk, with the thought of retiring. But, for all his interest in golf, the call of pharmacy prevailed and soon found himself working with Arthur Gregory in Mildenhall, just before that pharmacy was taken over by Savory & Moore. In 1976 I joined Savory & Moore and met John for the first time. He was carrying out locum duties for the company and we quickly became firm friends. He was possibly the most popular locum ever employed by Savory & Moore in East Anglia. He worked hard and always led from the front. He dispensed, supervised, dusted shelves, counselled and reassured patients, encouraged technicians and demonstrated techniques to trainees with good humour, so much so that staff always looked forward to him coming to do locum duty at their branches. Alas, the rapid advance of technology and the introduction of computer-generated labelling in the 1980s instead of his copperplate hand-written labels proved a tough nut to crack and led to his decision finally to retire. From then until his death we met weekly to discuss pharmaceutical politics and personalities. John is greatly missed by his wife Betty and their family and by the many friends he made over the years. I certainly miss him.

Back to Top

©The Pharmaceutical Journal