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Hamilton was one of a rare breed - a Doctor who combined intellect with a wonderful bedside manner. He was to die too soon and by his own hand.

Dr. Edward Thomas Ernest Hamilton, M.I.D.

Surgeon, 17th General Hospital & Hospital Ship “Orcana” Anglo Boer War
Major, South African Medical Corps (attached to S.A.M.R.) - World War I

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Natal and Transvaal to E.T.C. Hamilton, Surgeon
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to Civ. Surg. E.T.C. Hamilton

Edward Hamilton was born at Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland on 26 August 1867 the son of Mark Hamilton, a Naval Surgeon, and his wife Fanny Grey Commins. He was known variously as “Freddy” Hamilton or “Neddy” Hamilton.

With his father a medical practitioner it followed that a young Edward would have more than a passing interest in this field as well and, in 1886 at the age of 19 he entered Guy's Hospital in London where he greatly distinguished himself as a student. Having qualified with the degrees B.Sc. (Hons in Physiology) 1889; M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. 1891; M.B., B.S. (Hons. In Medicine and Forensic Medicine) 1892; M.D. 1893; M.S. 1895; F.R.C.S. 1893 he became House Surgeon to Sir Henry Howse, and Resident Obstetric Assistant, then Assistant Medical Officer at Peckham House Asylum before returning to Guy's Hospital as Demonstrator of Anatomy, and Anaesthetist to the Hospital and Dental Department, residing at Underhill Road, Forest Hill. He held these posts for four to five years.

A glittering career seemed to await Hamilton but he was of a more adventurous bent and had tired of practising in the United Kingdom where the standard of medicine and medical care was higher than that in the far-flung corners of the Empire.

In 1898 he sailed for South Africa settling in a practice with Dr Rogers on the Witwatersrand – the very centre of South Africa’s booming Gold Mining industry. Here he would have been able to put his considerable skills to the test working with and operating on miners and their families and mingling with people from all walks of life and backgrounds. He had scarcely settled and he was already in print - with his partner W.G. Rogers he published 'A contribution to the pathology of infection by the pneumococcus' in The Lancet (1898). It wasn’t all work and no play though - there was time for travel and romance as well – on 2 January 1899 in Newcastle, Natal, he married a 28 year old Worcester lass Marion Helen Elliott who he had met as a Nurse at Guy’s Hospital. He was 31 years old at the time.

His marital bliss was, however, about to be rudely interrupted by a conflict not of his making.

For several years the Transvaal and particularly the Witwatersrand area had seen an influx of foreigners, mainly British subjects, who had flocked to the region lured by the promise of fortunes to be made by staking a claim and mining for gold. Ere long the situation developed where the local Dutch- speaking people under their President Paul Kruger were outnumbered by what they termed “uitlanders” – people of foreign origin. This they tolerated because the revenues generated by the mines and those who mined them were of vital importance to the Transvaal’s coffers.

Not surprisingly the “uitlanders” began to agitate for a greater say in the affairs of the territory – after all it was their money that kept the country afloat. Kruger was having none of this and, after a series of acrimonious events and incidents, matters came to head in late 1899. Kruger sent Britain an ultimatum which was ignored pitching his country and his ally, the Orange Free State, against the might of the Empire- hostilities commenced on 11 October 1899 and those of English descent left in their droves to join one or more of the irregular forces being mobilised in other areas to fight the Boers.

Hamilton was no exception and he soon joined the South African Field Force where he was employed as a Civil Surgeon and Medical Officer in Charge of Hospitals on shore, and on the hospital ship Orcana, docked for a time in Durban harbour. Ashore his expertise was called upon at No. 17 General Hospital in Standerton (This had been No. 4 Stationary Hospital a short while earlier) whilst aboard the “Orcana” he had care of those ill and wounded who were bound for treatment back home in England.



The war over on 31 May 1902 Hamilton returned to his civilian practice at Adderley House, Johannesburg where he immersed himself not only in his work but in the affairs of his profession as well. Here he filled various offices: President of the Transvaal Medical Society (1906-1907); Medical Officer to the City and Suburban old Mining Co, Sick Benefit Society; Member of Council, Transvaal University College, also of the Witwatersrand Council of Education; Chairman of the Seymour Memorial Library and of the Pretoria Medical Society he numbered among his illustrious achievements.

His most striking success was, however, the founding of the Transvaal Medical Journal in 1905, which became the Medical Journal of South Africa. The journal in its obituary notice paid a remarkable tribute to its late editor – a tribute which provides us with more insight into the man and leads us to an account of his ultimate demise. It read as follows:-

“With the outbreak of the War in 1914 (according to his service card he enlisted on 22 August 1914 providing his address as 71 Hol Street Johannesburg) he left Johannesburg with the Transvaal Horse Artillery for the campaign in German South-West Africa, and remained with the Field Force until the subsequent Boer Rebellion was quelled. He returned seriously invalided to Johannesburg in February, 1915, suffering from an obscure subacute intestinal complaint, complicated by a morbid dread of losing his reason. He was found dead with a bullet wound in his head on March 8th, 1915, and was buried with military honours. He was survived by Mrs Hamilton, who had been a nurse at Guy's Hospital."

Guy’s Hospital too had something to say about the life and death of one its most accomplished son’s:

We regret to announce the death of Dr Hamilton which took place on March 8th (1915) at his residence in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During the Boer War he was medical officer on one of the hospital ships and in various hospitals ashore. After serving with the rank of Major in the field during the recent rebellion, Dr Hamilton became principal medical Officer at Swakopmund, the chief post of German South West Africa, now in British occupation, where he developed an intestinal complaint, and, being much run down from pressure of work, he was ordered to Johannesburg to recuperate. There he became subject to attacks of mental depression, and it is supposed that in one of these fits he terminated his life, as he was found with a fatal bullet wound in his head.

Much sympathy is felt for his widow, an old Guy's nurse. His funeral took place with military honours. Guy's Hospital Reports Vol.LXX, War Memorial Number

His brainchild, the Transvaal Medical Journal had this to say:

“Death has taken heavy toll from our ranks in Johannesburg of recent times and now we have to mourn the passing of “Neddy” Hamilton, and mourn indeed we must for never shall we look upon his like again.

Of the circumstances of his tragic end little need be said here. One of the first volunteers on the outbreak of hostilities, he left Johannesburg with the Transvaal Horse Artillery at the initiation of the campaign in German South-West Africa, and since then with the exception of a brief furlough at Christmas time when he paid a very welcome visit to Johannesburg, he had been on active service with the troops engaged in quelling the rebellion and in German South-West Africa; latterly he had been in medical charge at Swakopmund, and it was from there that he returned to his home invalided at the end of February, suffering from a sub-acute intestinal complaint and from mental depression brought on no doubt by overwork and the weariness of the flesh, and out of all proportion to the severity of his physical complaint. Without doubt it may be said that this mental depression took the form of a morbid dread of losing his reason, and in an acute exacerbation he took his life, preferring death to an imagined alternative of a life deprived of charm and usefulness.

In this Journal, conceived, initiated, and in its infancy nurtured by him, it is unnecessary to enter into a recital of his brilliant academic career in London and at Guy’s, or even to accentuate the fact, so well known to most of us, that with this intellectual brilliance he combined (and it is a most unusual combination) every attribute of the ideal practitioner.

To know Hamilton was a privilege; to be on terms of intimate friendship with him was a rare delight; as a companion he was unsurpassable, and his participation in the numerous informal gatherings in hospital, club, and home, which form perhaps the most pleasant feature of our medical life here, ever insured for the time the banishment of dull care; his was the vital and stimulating influence that gave to such meetings their greatest value to us all; his the finest wit and keenest sense of humour; his the readiness and ability to turn a discussion, verging perhaps on the acrimonious into smooth channels, and pilot it to safe anchorage in a sound decision. His influence was great, greater by far than he ever in his modesty imagined; and was always exercised in the upholding of the best traditions of the profession he loved, and of which he was indeed a worthy and brilliant exponent. He had the faculty of inspiring others to an unusual degree; in debate or discussion, to keep pace with him demanded the intellectual best of every man of us present; and with his wide and sympathetic knowledge of humanity and his extended experience, his well-considered judgement and advice were always freely given to his colleagues and were rarely at fault.

Apart from his loss to the profession in Johannesburg and South Africa for these qualities, briefly and inadequately enumerated, it remains to say a few words from the aspect of one of those numerous friends in the profession who knew and loved him; he was indeed a true, generous and loyal friend, with the happiest disposition ever known; in sickness or sorrow his sympathetic and cheery presence was always the best antidote; in times of pleasant relaxation his spontaneous gaiety and lightness of heart made him the very life and soul of every party out for enjoyment. It is difficult indeed to realise that he is gone, and the manner of his going; and it means to many of us a very different Johannesburg for the rest of our time here.

To his widow we respectfully and sorrowfully offer our sincerest sympathy and condolences. Farewell ! Farewell !! Neddy Hamilton, of happy memory!

Hamilton, a brilliant man, had ended his own life on 8 March 1915 at the age of 48. He didn’t live to see his name being Mentioned in Dispatches for distinguished service in the field and for services rendered in German South West Africa in 1918.

Thank You Rory.......

Another piece of great information and research.....

Mike

Hello Rory,
A superb recipient, I find it very interesting indeed, that he went off to GWSA with the THA, from memory, at least, I think the Johannesburg press reported, on the 28th of August 1914, that they had left "quietly and unobtrusively" although they gave no hint as to just where they had actually gone to.
Very clearly, his suicide was nothing less than tragic, a very sad end, although, he clearly had his reasons, he was more than qualified to make an opinion, from a medical point of view.
Regards Frank

Quite so Frank - one can only guess at his state of mind on returning from GSWA - if he was mentally fragile he probably imagined his illness or condition to be worse than it was.

Regards

Rory