William John Virgin (16 December 1905 – 18 October 1997)[1] was a serving Major in the former Indian Medical Service in British India. He was the first Principal of Dhaka Medical College.[2] Virgin was born in Toronto, Canada on 16 December 1905. He served primarily in India and, after its formation, Bangladesh.
William John Virgin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st [[Principal]] Dhaka Medical College | |
| In office 1 July 1946 – 14 August 1947 | |
| Succeeded by | Colonel E. G. Montgomery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 December 1905 |
| Died | 18 October 1997 (aged 91) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Indian Medical Service |
| Rank | Major |
Career edit
The University of Toronto in June 1933 conferred on Virgin the degree Doctor of Medicine.[3]
He was an orthopedic surgeon by profession. He joined the Indian Medical Service, where he was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 August 1933 [on prob], and Captain on 1 August 1934 [on prob] (17/2/36).[1][4] He received a promotion to the post of Major on 1 August 1943.[5] He was posted in Dhaka from 1943 to 1947,[6] where he was appointed as the Civil Surgeon of Dhaka.[7]
Virgin was made the head of the committee to establish a medical college in Dhaka. Dhaka Medical College was started on 10 July 1946, and Virgin was made its founding principal,[8][9][10] as well as the first superintendent of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.[10][11] He also served as the first ever Dean of Faculty of Medicine at the University of Dhaka.[12] On 21 December 1946, Virgin succeeded Major F. H. A. L. Davidson, IMS, as the medical officer of Dhaka Central Jail.[13]
Virgin served as the principal of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital until 14 August 1947. Later, he joined the department of orthopedic surgery of the University of Liverpool as a senior research fellow.[14]
Later in life, he wrote a book on his experience in India titled The India I Knew: Experiences of a Canadian Orthopaedic Surgeon over 50 Years, which was published in 1988.[6]
Personal life edit
In 1934, Virgin married Zelma Crone, with whom he had five children. He died in Toronto on 18 October 1997 at the age of 91.
References edit
- ^ a b "(456) - Army lists > Half-yearly Army lists 1923 - Feb 1950 (From 1947, annual, despite the name) > 1939 > Second half - British Military lists - National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
- ^ "History of Dhaka Medical College". Dhaka Medical College. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ University of Toronto Calendar: Faculty of Medicine, 1934-1935. The University of Toronto Press. 1934. pp. 116–117.
- ^ The Monthly Army List. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. July 1935. pp. 895–9.
- ^ "(1021) - Army lists > Quarterly Army Lists (Second Series), July 1940-December 1950 > 1946 > Second quarter > Part 2 > Volume 1 - British Military lists - National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
- ^ a b Virgin, W. J. (1988). Neely, Lois (ed.). The India I Knew: Experiences of a Canadian Orthopaedic Surgeon over 50 Years. Toronto, ON, Canada: W. J. Virgin.
- ^ Zaman, Habibuz (1999). "Dhaka Medical College: The early years". Seventy years in a shaky subcontinent. London: Janus. p. 135. ISBN 1-85756-405-7. OCLC 43210443.
- ^ "DMC envisions to be one of the best medical institutions in South Asia by 2021 -Prof. Khan Abul Kalam Azad". The Guardian. Dhaka. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "Sixty Three years of Dhaka Medical College". Star Campus. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ a b "History". Bangladesh Society of Anasthesiologists. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "Local Health Bulletin- 2020". app.dghs.gov.bd. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "University of Dhaka". Banglapedia. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ Service Notes.The Indian Medical Gazette. Feb, 1947. p112.(PDF)
- ^ Virgin, W. J. (1951-11-01). "Experimental investigations into the physical properties of the intervertebral disc". The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume. 33-B (4): 607–611. doi:10.1302/0301-620X.33B4.607. ISSN 0301-620X. PMID 14880588.