author
Henry Sessions Souttar
1875–1964
A pioneering British surgeon with an engineer’s mind, he is remembered for bold early work in heart surgery and for bringing unusual range to medicine, from instrument design to radiotherapy.
1 Audiobook
A Surgeon in Belgium
by Henry Sessions Souttar
About the author
Born in 1875, Henry Sessions Souttar trained first in mathematics and engineering before turning to surgery, and that mix of disciplines shaped his whole career. He became known as a remarkably wide-ranging British surgeon whose technical skill and practical imagination helped him design new instruments and tackle difficult problems in new ways.
He is especially remembered for a daring 1925 operation in which he reached the mitral valve of the heart with his finger—an achievement often described as far ahead of its time. Beyond surgery, he also played an important part in the early development of radiotherapy practice in Britain, showing how comfortable he was moving between medicine, science, and engineering.
Souttar served in the First World War and later wrote about those experiences in A Surgeon in Belgium. He was knighted and remained a respected figure in British medicine until his death in 1964. His story still stands out because he brought curiosity and invention to every part of his work.