George Alexander Gibson

“ BALFOUR, GEORGE WILLIAM (1823–1903) , physician, born at the Manse of Sorn, Ayrshire, on 2 June 1823, was sixth son and eighth of the thirteen children of Lewis Balfour, D.D., by his wife Henrietta Scott, third daughter of George Smith, D.D., minister of Galston, who is satirised by Burns in 'The Holy Fair.' The father was grandson, on his father's side, of James Balfour (1705-1795) [q. v.] of Pilrig, professor of moral philosophy and of public law at Edinburgh, and on his mother's side of Robert Whytt [q. v.] , professor of medicine at Edinburgh. ”

“ Balfour was a general practitioner in the county of Midlothian from 1846 till 1857, when he removed to Edinburgh, and practised as a physician on becoming F.R.C.P. Edinburgh in 1861. In 1866 he was appointed physician to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, and from 1867 he was physician to the Royal Infirmary, being appointed consulting physician in 1882, on the expiry of his term of office. ”

“ Gairdner was an exceptionally attractive lecturer, teaching the diagnosis of disease with singular thoroughness, and illuminating the subject in hand by means of a wide literary culture. Despite his activity as both teacher and consultant, he continued throughout his career his contributions to professional literature. ”

“ He was soon appointed pathologist to the Royal Infirmary, and immediately entered upon a career of great scientific energy, not only throwing himself into the teaching of his subject to large classes of undergraduates, but making numerous original observations. ”

“ During the last seven years of his life, while his intellectual interests and energies were unimpaired, Gairdner suffered from an obscure affection of the heart, the symptoms of which he carefully recorded. He died suddenly at Edinburgh on 28 June 1907. In accordance with his wish, a complete account of the clinical and pathological conditions of his disease was published by the present writer, in association with Dr. ”

“ James Craig, of Ratho, by whom he had eight sons and three daughters; and (3) in 1881 to Henrietta, daughter of John Usher, who survived him.
[Lancet, 22 Aug. 1903; Brit. Med. Journal, 22 Aug. 1903; Edinb. Med. Journal, September 1903; Scottish Med. and Surg. Journal, September 1903; The Balfours of Pilrig, by Miss Balfour Melville of Pilrig, 1907; R. L. Stevenson, Memories and Portraits, 1887; private information.] ”