Arthur Fergusson McGill was the first surgeon to carry out suprapubic prostatectomy, shortly before he became Professor of Surgery in 1887. He published his results in the Clinical Society Transactions 1887-8. Anning, in the second volume of his History of the General Infirmary at Leeds describes it as follows:
The first time he undertook the operation was on 24 March 1887, and Moynihan was present as a dresser [*]. McGill, having opened the bladder of a man with retention, was feeling with his finger the size of the prostate. It is said that by mistake in doing so "it came away in his hand". Whatever the truth, McGill appreciated the importance of what he had done and remarked, "We must do this again." At the BMA meeting in Leeds two years later McGill presented a number of his patients holding their prostates in jars.
McGill had been educated at Tonbridge School and King's College Hospital. In 1869 he became residential medical officer at the Infirmary and, in 1874, surgeon to the Leeds Public Dispensary and demonstrator in anatomy. He also took on the responsibilities of Librarian of the School. He was later appointed lecturer in pathology and surgery at the School of Medicine. In 1882 he was elected assistant surgeon at the Infirmary and two years later in 1884 full surgeon, i.e. Consultant. He was also the first Professor of Anatomy in the School on its becoming a department of the Yorkshire College.
In 1887, when the Yorkshire College became a constituent College of the Victoria University of Manchester, McGill became Professor of Surgery. He suffered from diabetes and his career was cut short with his death in November 1890.
[*] Dresser - title of someone assisting in the operating theatre, usually a house surgeon, whose role was to dress wounds. Moynihan had qualified with the London MB in 1887 and immediately became house surgeon to McGill.
