In private life Syme was genial and happy, throwing off all professional cares, quarrels, and anxieties in the home circle. His unobtrusive religion was an essential feature of his character. He was devoted to truth and earnest in its advocacy, and hence sprang many of his controversies; but he had no love for controversy as such. His domestic life was very happy, though broken at various times by death. His first wife died in 1846: of her numerous family two daughters only survived to adult age, one of them being now the wife of Sir Joseph Lister. His second wife was the sister of Burn, the architect: this union was equally happy with the former; but the second Mrs. Syme also died before him. Her youngest child was Mr. James Syme, the present proprietor of Millbank. This house and estate Professor Syme decorated and improved with all that horticulture and excellent taste could devise, and it was under his sway one of the most charming resorts near Edinburgh. His social gatherings of eight, ten, or twelve choice spirits were delightful, and his hospitality was both large and discriminating.
It is pleasing to record that Mr. Syme welcomed the greatest surgical improvement of modern times, that brought forward by Professor Lister, his son-in-law. In 1868 he contributed a valuable paper to the British Medical Journal “On the Antiseptic Method of Treatment in Surgery,” by which he greatly aided its progress. This was his last year of full practice. In April 1869 he was seized with paralysis, resigned his professorship and surgeoncy soon after, but recovered sufficiently in the autumn to receive a testimonial in St. James’s Hall, London (November 10, 1869), at a public dinner in which the leaders of the profession vied with one another in honouring him. The testimonial took the form of the endowment of a surgical fellowship in the University of Edinburgh, in addition to the placing of a marble bust in the Infirmary or University library. A bust was subsequently placed in both of these situations. Syme at length died, after repeated attacks of paralysis, on the 20th of June 1870.
It has been well said by Professor Goodsir, that few men come to their principles at such an early age as Mr. Syme. His terseness of writing aided greatly in their propagation, and his practice was extended far and wide by the assurance that “he never wasted a word, nor a drop of ink, nor a drop of blood.” He was great too in his conservation of all parts which might by any dexterity and patience be made useful. His revival of operations for the excision of joints rather than the amputation of limbs is an instance of this. Syme’s operation of amputation at the ankle-joint will always remain in vogue as the least fatal and most useful in surgery.
Professor Lister has thus summed up Syme’s character as a surgeon—“A practical surgeon, Mr. Syme presented a remarkable combination of qualities; and we have not known whether to admire most the soundness of his pathological knowledge, his skill in diagnosis, resembling intuition, though in reality the result of acute and accurate observation and laborious experience, well stored and methodised; the rapidity and soundness of his judgment, his fertility in resources as an operator, combined with simplicity of the means employed, his skill and celerity of execution, his fearless courage, or the singleness of purpose with which all his proceedings were directed to the good of his patients.”
Though his fame has been overshadowed by the greater distinction of Liston and Syme, John Lizars deserves mention, not only as a brilliant operator, but also as a teacher, lecturer, and author. He was fortunate in his instructor, having been the pupil and apprentice of John Bell. After obtaining his qualification in 1808 Lizars became a naval surgeon, and saw good service on the Spanish and Portuguese coasts in Lord Exmouth’s fleet. He left the navy in 1815, and settled in Edinburgh, joining Allan, who lectured on surgery, and taking himself the departments of anatomy and surgery. Later, when this partnership was dissolved, Lizars continued to lecture, adding surgery before long to his programme, and hence being almost incessantly engaged during the prolonged winter session with his daily lectures on each subject. His zeal and method attracted, and retained for years, classes frequently numbering one hundred and fifty. He was obliged after a time to limit his labours when the Edinburgh College of Surgeons decided to recognise lectures in one department only from any given lecturer; and he resigned his anatomical lectures to his brother Alexander, afterwards Professor of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, and thenceforward lectured on surgery alone. In 1831 John Lizars was appointed Professor of Surgery to the College of Surgeons, a post which he held for eight years. He had previously become surgeon in the Infirmary, and was considerably senior to Liston. The two were not unworthy compeers as regarded brilliancy in operating. Lizars’ ease and coolness under circumstances of difficulty were remarkable. He is said to have been the first who performed the operation for the removal of the lower jaw.
Lizars published a “System of Practical Surgery”; but is perhaps best known for his great folio series of coloured “Anatomical Plates” with companion (octavo) volume of text. The engravings of the plates were for the most part made from original dissections by himself. They formed an immense series of illustrations, occupying 110 folio plates, and some of them, especially those on the brain and nervous system, can scarcely be surpassed for artistic excellence. It was really a magnificent work for its day, and had a very large sale; and as regards a great portion of the contents, since they show actual facts, they cannot be superseded. After his retirement from teaching, Lizars devoted himself to private practice, both surgical and general. He died at Edinburgh, May 21, 1860.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] The writer is indebted for this anecdote to Dr. Paterson’s “Memorials of the Life of James Syme,” in which a number of incidents relating to Liston are given, with an interesting parallel between the careers of the two great surgeons (chapter xii., p. [210-216]). It is much to be regretted that no biography of Robert Liston has yet been written.