The Easdale Doctor: The Life and Times of Patrick H. Gillies

By: Mary Withall

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Synopsis: An inspiring biography of a Victorian-era physician who gave up the promise of fortune and glory to serve his small community on a Scottish island. When Patrick Gillies graduated from the University of Edinburgh&’s distinguished school of medicine with honors in 1890, a high-profile career as a surgeon lay ahead of him. Any city across the world would have welcomed him, and his university mentors, including the famous Joseph Lister, urged him to take up one of these opportunities. But Gillies defied them all and returned to his hometown of Easdale, determined to continue the work his father had begun as a physician to the parishioners of Scotland&’s Slate Islands. Over the next forty years, Patrick Gillies worked tirelessly to sustain and improve the community. While working as a General Practitioner, he involved himself in the needs of Easdale, fighting the closure of the local school as a member of the school board, and applying his expertise and determination to public health issues, working to build an isolation hospital and provide better medical care for children. Eventually, he would serve his country as well, in Army service in two wars. This biography is a portrait of a quiet hero, a tale of a dedicated doctor who stayed in a small town—and made a big difference.