RCSI Heritage Collections

We were at RCSI Heritage Collections could not let today pass without mentioning Abraham Colles.  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. 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 Ch...

' He [Sir Thomas Myles] attained enormous strength and was a  sufficiently skilled boxer to fight a few rounds with the  heavy-weight champion, John L. Sullivan. ' John L. Sullivan , aka the Boston Strong Boy, was quite the formidable opponent for a surgeon to step into the ring with. But Sir Thomas Myles was no ordinary surgeon.   Myles was born in Limerick on 20th April 1857 to a family long associated with that city. He began his school life in Limerick which with time took him to Trinity College Dublin, Vienna and the Richmond Hospital. Myles graduated from Trinity in 1881 with his M.B. and B.Ch. That same year he was chosen to be Resident Surgeon in Dr. Steevens' Hospital. Widdess tells us 'His magnificent physique and attainments as an amateur heavy-weight boxer were to sustain his in an arduous duty, which in addition to the other more usual ones, was imposed upon him by the Governors - to keep order amongst the resident pupils.'  Sir Tho...