Graham Steell
Encyclopedia
Graham Steell was a British
physician
and cardiologist remembered for describing the Graham Steell murmur.
. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy
; his aim was to be a soldier, but he was persuaded to study medicine by a brother. He graduated from Edinburgh University in 1872, studied in Berlin
and became house physician
to George Balfour at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
. He worked in fever hospitals in Edinburgh
, Leeds
and London
, and was awarded a gold medal for his M.D.
thesis on scarlatina. In 1878 he moved to the Manchester Royal Infirmary
, becoming assistant physician in 1883 and later professor of clinical medicine. He remained there until his retirement.
Many of his early papers concerned fever
, but after 1886 his papers concentrated on cardiology
. He wrote Diseases of the Heart which was published in 1906. He described the association of oedema and peripheral neuropathy
in beer drinkers and patients with beriberi
, both now known to be due to thiamine
deficiency. He described his eponymous murmur in a paper read to the Manchester Medical Society which was published in 1888. He stressed the importance of disease of the myocardium rather than of the valves, and was an advocate of exercise.
He married Agnes Dunlop McKie, who was Lady Superintendent of nurses at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, in 1886. They had one son who was a physician and medical officer to the Ministry of Health
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and cardiologist remembered for describing the Graham Steell murmur.
Biography
Graham Steell was born in 1851, the youngest son of Sir John SteellJohn Steell
Sir John Robert Steell RSA was a Scottish sculptor. He was born in Aberdeen on 18 September 1804, but his family moved to Edinburgh around one year after his birth. He is best known for a number of sculptures displayed in Edinburgh, including the statue of Sir Walter Scott at the Scott Monument...
. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
; his aim was to be a soldier, but he was persuaded to study medicine by a brother. He graduated from Edinburgh University in 1872, studied in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and became house physician
Pre-registration house officer
Pre-registration house officer , often known as a houseman or house officer, was until 2005 the only job open to medical graduates in the United Kingdom who had just passed their final examinations at medical school and had received their medical degrees.Newly-qualified doctors are only allowed...
to George Balfour at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or RIE, sometimes mistakenly referred to as Edinburgh Royal Infirmary or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest voluntary hospital in the United Kingdom, and later on...
. He worked in fever hospitals in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and was awarded a gold medal for his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
thesis on scarlatina. In 1878 he moved to the Manchester Royal Infirmary
Manchester Royal Infirmary
The Manchester Royal Infirmary is a hospital in Manchester, England which was founded by Charles White in 1752 as a cottage hospital capable of caring for twelve patients. Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of a larger NHS Trust incorporating several hospitals called Central Manchester University...
, becoming assistant physician in 1883 and later professor of clinical medicine. He remained there until his retirement.
Many of his early papers concerned fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
, but after 1886 his papers concentrated on cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
. He wrote Diseases of the Heart which was published in 1906. He described the association of oedema and peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of or trauma to the nerve or the side-effects of systemic illness....
in beer drinkers and patients with beriberi
Beriberi
Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by a thiamine deficiency in the diet. Thiamine is involved in the breakdown of energy molecules such as glucose and is also found on the membranes of neurons...
, both now known to be due to thiamine
Thiamine
Thiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
deficiency. He described his eponymous murmur in a paper read to the Manchester Medical Society which was published in 1888. He stressed the importance of disease of the myocardium rather than of the valves, and was an advocate of exercise.
He married Agnes Dunlop McKie, who was Lady Superintendent of nurses at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, in 1886. They had one son who was a physician and medical officer to the Ministry of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
.