author
Sir Erasmus Wilson
1809–1884
A leading Victorian surgeon and one of the doctors who helped make dermatology a recognized specialty in Britain, he also became known for unusually large acts of public generosity. His life joined medicine, writing, and philanthropy in a way that still feels striking today.
2 Audiobooks
Cleopatra's needle : with brief notes on Egypt and Egyptian obelisks
by Sir Erasmus Wilson
About the author
Born in London in 1809, Sir Erasmus Wilson—properly Sir William James Erasmus Wilson—trained in medicine and built a major career as a surgeon, anatomist, and skin specialist. He studied at St Bartholomew's Hospital and became especially known for his work on diseases of the skin at a time when dermatology was only beginning to emerge as a distinct field.
Wilson wrote widely for both medical and general readers, helping bring specialist knowledge to a broader public. His books and lectures helped establish dermatology more firmly in Britain, and he later held the chair of dermatology at the Royal College of Surgeons.
He was also remembered as a philanthropist. Among his best-known public gifts was his financial support for bringing Cleopatra's Needle from Egypt to London. He died in 1884, leaving behind a reputation not only as an influential medical writer and teacher, but also as a figure of large ambition and public spirit.