The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7239 p348
8 March 2003

Box On 8 November 2002, James Andrew Box, of 16 Withcote Avenue, Leicester LE5 6ST. Mr Box registered as a chemist and druggist in 1949 and as a pharmaceutical chemist in 1951. He retired from the register in 1999 (see Tribute).

Cutner On 9 November 2002, Arnold John Cutner, MRPharmS, of 327 Great North Way, Hendon, London NW4 1EU. Mr Cutner registered in 1942.

Deer On 21 January, John James ("Jack") Deer of 2 Chessington Close, West Ewell KT19 9EQ. From about 1950 until his retirement in 1978 he worked in the pharmaceutical engineering department at the "Square" (School of Pharmacy, University of London), where he was responsible for the production of many research instruments. He developed a widely acknowledged expertise in rheology and had many papers published in The Pharmaceutical Journal and other publications.

Dyche On 10 January, William Peter Dyche, MRPharmS, of 13 Priory Orchard, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 9EL. Mr Dyche registered in 1965.

Harp On 29 January, Patricia Harp, née Nettleton, MRPharmS, of 1 Montague Way, Billericay, Essex CM12 0UB. Mrs Harp registered in 1968.

Hart On 7 December 2002, John Burton Hart, MRPharmS, of 10 Bury Hill, Winterbourne Down, Bristol, Avon BS36 1AB. Mr Hart registered in 1939.

McCheyne On 9 January, Hilda Jane McCheyne, MRPharmS, of 82 Bannockburn Road, St Ninians, Stirling FK7 0BT. Mrs McCheyne registered in 1937.

Mcquattie On 8 January, Charles Mcquattie, MRPharmS, of 12 Bractullo Gardens, Letham, Forfar, Angus DD8 2XG. Mr Mcquattie registered in 1938.

Monks On 14 January, Ellis Thomas Monks, FRPharmS, of Bodmin, Llandogo, Monmouth, Gwent NP25 4TE. Mr Monks registered in 1940.

Sergeant On 15 December 2002, Joan Margaret Sergeant, née Wilby, of "Oakwood", 6 Loughrigg Meadow, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0DZ. Mrs Sergeant registered in 1949 and retired from the register in 2000.

Williams On 2 January, Hugh Llewelyn Williams, MRPharmS, of 25 Moorlands Road, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan CF31 3DR. Mr Williams registered in 1954.

Wood On 17 January, George Stafford Wood, MRPharmS, of 2 The Glade, Thornbury Wood, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 5AZ. Mr Wood registered in 1958.

Tributes

Box In a tribute to the late James Andrew Box, MICHAEL and VELA BURDEN write:

Many past students of the Leicester School of Pharmacy will be sad to learn of Jim Box's death in November 2002. Michael met Jim on his very first visit to Leicester as he sat in Colin Gunn's office being interviewed for a place to read pharmacy. Vela already knew Jim as he had introduced her to pharmacy as a schoolgirl, since they lived in the same village. As with all students we were grateful for his help and care during our undergraduate years.

Jim was apprenticed to Boots The Chemists on leaving school but the outbreak of the 1939–45 war changed his plans and he volunteered for the Royal Air Force. He trained as a navigator and flew in Liberator bombers in South Africa and the Middle East. He had many challenging and dangerous flights but was not actually involved in a bombing raid. At the end of the war he resumed his pharmacy studies and was at Nottingham University from 1947–51. He was active and enthusiastic in student politics and helped the British Pharmaceutical Students Association to thrive at that difficult time. He gave great encouragement to the BPSA activists in succeeding generations.

On qualifying, Jim went to the "Square" as assistant lecturer, moving to Leicester Polytechnic in 1954. He was appointed senior lecturer in microbiology in 1957. He was an active member of his union, serving on the departmental health and safety committee. He served as the national examiner for City and Guilds and was also active within the Leicestershire branch of the Pharmaceutical Society, being chairman in 1967–68.

It was perhaps the mark of this modest man that only when exploring his time at Leicester so many who have gone on to eminent roles in medical science have emerged to acknowledge the help Jim Box had given them.

Students will remember him as a person of small stature — indeed he often said he was suited to be a microbiologist — but he had a big influence on many of us and we will miss him.

Robertshaw In a tribute to the late Benjamin Arthur Robertshaw (PJ, 18 January, p96), VICTOR HAMMOND writes:

I came across Ben Robertshaw early in January 1996 when I learnt of his role in the 1939–45 war through a friend and colleague of his.

Ben was called up to Becketts Park, Leeds, in January 1942 after surviving two Sheffield blitzes. He was stationed at a camp reception station in North Berwick until the end of 1942. He then joined 15 other pharmacists to sail on HMT Strathmore from Liverpool to Bombay, leaving England on 24 February 1943 and arriving in Bombay in April 1943.

His initial service in India was in Mhow military hospital in what is now Madhya Pradesh. In a recent letter to me, Ben wrote: "In two of my hospitals I had to prepare some water for injection in an old alembic still and more in a copper retort (then put in a steriliser). I now cringe at the thought — although there were no ill effects — I think we are too fussy now or afraid of being sued!"

Ben found himself again on HMT Strathmore in October 1943, sailing from Liverpool to Bombay on the first convoy that went through the Red Sea. After a brief time at a non-operational hospital at Durgapura, Rajahstan, he was posted to Jaipur, but not to a hospital. For six months his unit was attached to Italia Redenta (freed Italian troops).

Ben served the remainder of his wartime service by way of Colombo with 35 British General Hospital followed by Gan, Addu Atoll and the Maldive Islands. The voyage from Colombo took three days to Diego Garcia. It was there that he saw the first effects of penicillin when his medical officer scrounged some from HMS Renown when she called.

His final wartime service was in the 48th Indian General Hospital, Kandy. "We started getting Dutch civilians from Java. They were in quarantine for three months. All had scabies and other skin diseases. Creams, ointments, benzyl benzoate, etc, were made in oil drums over four Primus stoves."

Ben had a wealth of experience and could adapt to many situations, I assume this must have helped him to become a popular post-war locum when he was about to retire. This was greatly appreciated, according to a number of letters that I received from colleagues during the last decade of the 20th century.

Shaw In a tribute to the late Arthur George Shaw (PJ, 1 March, p316), ELIZABETH MEIKLE writes:

Arthur Shaw was a really "big man" with high standards and he was my mentor during my whole professional life. I was his first preregistration trainee when he was group chief pharmacist based at Kingston General Hospital. He never missed an opportunity when anything new cropped up and he always involved his student. Any weak spots were picked up and he taught me the responsibilities of being a pharmacist. For example, never dispense anything until you know its use — aluminium paste was used around colostomies, not for polishing nurses "silver" shoes.

Whenever we both found ourselves attending a British Pharmaceutical Conference we would arrange to meet and catch up with recent events. He was an outstanding secretary to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

Attending his 80th birthday dinner at the Inner Temple was a great privilege. Some of his guests were surprised to learn that he was a pharmacist first before qualifying in law.

We used to meet every year in the Service of Dedication in St Paul's Cathedral for the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and when possible finished the occasion with lunch at the Society's dining room.

Arthur will be missed by his daughter Margaret and her family and friends.