Sir James Crichton-Browne. 1840-1938

On 31 January 1938, Sir James Crichton-Browne died a few months after his 97th birthday. In him the Royal Society lost its oldest Fellow, both in age and in membership, for he was elected Fellow in 1883, Charles Darwin being one of his proposers. His father, Dr W. A. F. Browne, who was the first Medical Superintendent of the Crichton Royal Mental Hospital at Dumfries, was largely responsible for the high standard of care and treatment of the insane for which this institution has since been famous ; later he became Commissioner in Lunacy in Scotland. It was therefore not surprising that after qualifying in medicine in Edinburgh University at the age of 22, his son decided to devote himself to the study of mental disorders. After serving in junior posts in various county Mental Hospitals he was appointed in 1866 Medical Superintendent of the West Riding Asylum, at Wakefield, a post he held until 1875. It was here his most valuable researches and pioneering work was done.