Sir William Gowers at the National Hospital

A biosketch of William Richard Gowers with a new review of his inpatient case history notes

“…Towards the end of the 1880s, Gowers' career was approaching its zenith. In 1887, at 42 years-old, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society and finally consulting physician of the National Hospital in 1888 1,3,8 . His achievement as a neurologist was formally recognized by the Queen when he received a knighthood in the Diamond Jubilee honors in 1897 8 .…”

“…Following his appointment, he instigated a diagnostic inventory at the hospital and in his first year, he reported on the treatment outcomes of 500 patients 1 . His master and early inspiration was John Hughlings Jackson, who was considered the founding father of British neurology 1,3 . Gowers was also nominated to the staff of UCH in 1872, keeping this second appointment for 16 years.…”

“…In 1875, he married Mary Baines from a well-known Leeds family and Russell Reynolds niece-in-law. They lived at Queen Anne Street in the West End of London, where he had his own private consulting rooms 1,3 .…”

“…He would spend his entire career there, seeing patients mainly in the outpatient room, teaching students the rudiments of neurology, and carrying out post-mortems 1,3 . Following his appointment, he instigated a diagnostic inventory at the hospital and in his first year, he reported on the treatment outcomes of 500 patients 1 .…”

“…John Russell Reynolds, another Nonconformist member of staff with interest in epilepsy, was also an influential mentor and lifelong friend. MacDonald Critchley (1990Critchley ( -1997 speculates that it would have largely been Reynolds' teaching that directed Gowers' attention towards neurology [1][2][3] . In 1867, Gowers was admitted as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and graduated in 1870, after having been awarded an undergraduate gold medal 1,2 .…”