We were at RCSI Heritage Collections could not let today pass without mentioning Abraham Colles.
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| Abraham Colles (1773-1843) |
Today 173 years ago Colles passed away at the age of 70 in his house, 21 St Stephen's Green. Abraham Colles was born in Milmount, Co. Kilkenny on 23 July 1773. Over the next 70 years he would come to dominate the world of surgery both in Ireland and around the world. Colles entered TCD in September 1790 and received his B.A in April 1795. At the same time he registered in RCSI and was indentured to Philip Woodroffe. Colles received his ‘letters testimonial’ from RCSI in September 1795. That same year he travelled to Edinburgh where he devoted himself to furthering his medical studies.
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| Colles' indenture to Philip Woodroffe, signed by both men |
In June 1797 he graduated as Doctor of Medicine in Edinburgh and made his way London to take up his residence. By the winter of 1797, Colles was back in Dublin and had taken up his residence in Chatham Street. He soon become attached to the Dispensary for the Sick Poor in Meath Street, an unusual move for a young man who belonged to the middle and upper classes. His actions soon caught the attention of Surgeon-General Stewart, who seeing the potential in Colles persuaded him to leave the world of the physician behind and enter that of the surgeon. In 1799 Colles succeeded his old master, Woodroofe, as Resident Surgeon in Steeven’s Hospital and was also elected Member of RCSI. In 1800 he became an Assistant, a year later a Censor and on 4th January 1802 Colles was elected President of RCSI at the age of 29. Colles held numerous positions; Surgeon to Cork Street Fever Hospital, Consulting Surgeon to the Rotunda, Surgeon in Steeven’s Hospital, Examiner and Professor of Anatomy, Physiology and Surgery in RCSI.
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| Engraving of Dr Steeven's Hospital from 1780 Courtesy of Dublin City Library and Archive |
As well as being an outstanding surgeon Colles was an
outstanding teacher. He could skilful draw graphic images of diseases. He
recognised that as a clinical teacher he had shortcomings and would readily
admit to them in order to instruct his students. Colles’ publication Treatise
on surgical Anatomy (1811) was the first anatomical work designed on
topographical lines. This earned Colles several eponyms for his anatomical
discoveries, examples being Colles’ fascia and Colles’ ligament. The most
widely known of these eponyms is the Colles’ fracture which was named after he
published the paper On the fracture of the carpel extremity of the radius
(1814).
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| Colles fracture |
During his lifetime Colles was visited by doctors from all over the
world. He is considered one of Ireland's great nineteenth century surgeons and
one that made the surgical profession respectable in Ireland. When Colles died
on 1st December 1843, medical schools suspended their classes and he
was given a public funeral.
So join us today in championing the man, the legend that was Abraham Colles.
- Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy