William Cleaver Woods

William Cleaver Woods, M.B., Ch.M. Edinburgh, M.D. (25 April 1852 – 9 April 1943) was a physician, politician and pioneer in Australian medical science specializing in X-rays for diagnostic applications and perhaps the first in the world to utilize X-rays for the treatment of cancer.

Life and times

In 1852, Woods was born at West Derby, Lancashire in England, the son of Richard Woods and Catherine née Cromwell.[1] He was christened on 7 June 1852 at Liverpool, Lancashire, England.[2] At the age of 10, the family moved to Melbourne in Australia and Woods grew up in Ballarat. Woods, a physician from Liverpool, England, married Margaret, née Grieve from New South Wales. The couple traveled to Europe aboard the R.M.S. Oceana for the honeymoon. The Woods had a large family with 9 sons and 2 daughters. The sons included Dr. L.S. Woods from Albury, Dr. John Grieve Woods, also known as the Flying Doctor of Broken Hill, Dr. R.G. Woods from Goulburn, G.C. Woods of Lockhart, and Norman Woods from Sydney. The daughters were Rice from Melbourne and Manning from Albury. Four other sons died prior to his death in 1943.[3]

Woods died in 1943 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was buried at Albury New Cemetery, North Albury, New South Wales, Australia. Location: Latitude: -36.060649; Longitude: 146.927309.[4][5]

Education

He graduated from Melbourne University. In 1876, he returned to England and attended Edinburgh University and University of Edinburgh Medical School and graduated in 1882 with the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery and then the M.D. degree.[6] On 7 September 1883, the Medical Board of Victoria met and accepted Woods’ diploma and registered, No. 1089, William Cleaver Woods, M.B. et Ch.M. Edinburgh, 1882 from Albury.[7] On 15 September 1883, the Australian Medical Journal reported in the Local Subjects section that Dr. W.C. Woods had been appointed Health Officer at Wodonga, Victoria.[7] In 1886, he was awarded a doctorate with the thesis on the association between dogs, sheep and hydatids. In 1901, Woods was awarded a doctorate from the University of Melbourne with an additional thesis on hydatids.[8]

Medical practice and X-ray pioneer

In 1888, Woods opened the Burnley Private Hospital at Albury, New South Wales and in 1903 established a medical office on Swift Street. In 1896, Woods became the first physician in Australia and among the first in the world to utilize x-rays to treat cancer of the larynx.[9][10][11][12][13]

In 1901, Woods listed for sale a complete x-ray set with a guarantee to be in perfect order. The x-ray set included 3 tubes, a 5-inch coil from W. Watson and Son, a 12 cell bichromate battery and tube holder.[14]

In 1901, Woods reported on Rontgen Rays for Cancer in the Medical Notes of the Australasian Medical Gazette. Woods referred to a cablegram that mentioned Professor Lahmann of the Medical College in Chicago, Illinois had successfully treated cancer with the Rontgen Rays. Woods remarked that his experience with this method of cancer treatment: "is far from encouraging. Three years ago he undertook a series of experiments with the rays on several cancer patients, but after an exhaustive trial he was compelled to admit that no apparent check was made in the progress of the cancerous growth".[15][16]

Political career

From 1891 to 1897, and then from 1908 to 1925 Woods served as alderman for the city of Albury. In 1894, he was elected mayor of Albury and then elected to the office of mayor again in 1917-18.

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References
  1. England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008. Database. FamilySearch. William Cleaver Woods, 1852. England & Wales Births, 1837-2006. Database. Citing: Birth Registration. West Derby, Lancashire, England. Citing: General Register Office, Southport, England.
  2. England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Database. FamilySearch. William Cleaver Woods, 7 Jun 1852. Citing reference: FHL microfilm 1,595,423.
  3. Editor. (12 April 1943). Dr. W. Cleaver Woods. Goulburn Evening Post. Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.
  4. BillionGraves Index. Database. FamilySearch. William Cleaver Woods, died 9 Apr 1943. Burial at Albury New Cemetery, North Albury, New South Wales, Australia.
  5. Australia, Sydney Branch Genealogical Library, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960. Database with images. FamilySearch. William Cleaver Woods, 9 Aug 1943. Citing: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Sydney Genealogical Library, Greenwich. FHL microfilm 887,472.
  6. Editor. (19 August 1882). Medical News. The British Medical Journal.
  7. Editor. (1883). Local Subjects. The Australian Medical Journal. Volume 5. Stillwell & Company.
  8. Editor. (1902). William Cleaver Woods (Edinburgh), Doctor of Medicine. Degrees Conferred. Annual Report, 1900-1901. The Melbourne University Calendar. University of Melbourne. Melbourne University Press.
  9. Williams, Howard J. (1903). PRIMARY RETROPERITONEAL SARCOMA. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences. 126(2): 269-276.
  10. McQuellin, Christopher P. (1998). Searching for the first recorded therapeutic treatment by radiation in Australia. Radiographer: The Official Journal of the Australian Institute of Radiography. 45(3): 133-135.
  11. Morgan, Graeme W. (1998). A synopsis of radiation oncology in Australia, with particular reference to New South Wales. Australian and New Zealand journal of surgery. 68(3): 225-235.
  12. Lewis, Milton James. (2007). Australian Treatment Services. Cancer and Medicine in Historical Perspective. Medicine and Care of the Dying: A Modern History. Oxford University Press.
  13. Merchant, S. P., Halkett, G. K., & Sale, C. (2011). Australian radiation therapy: an overview. The Radiographer. 58(1): 1-2.
  14. Bruck, L. (20 April 1901). The Australasian Medical Gazette: The Journal of the Australasian Branches of the British Medical Association. Volume 20.
  15. Bruck, L. (20 December 1901). Rontgen Rays for Cancer. The Australasian Medical Gazette: The Journal of the Australasian Branches of the British Medical Association. Volume 20.
  16. Johnson, Adrian. (1954). A NOTE ON THE EARLY USE OF RADIOTHERAPY IN SKIN DISEASES IN AUSTRALIA. Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 2(3): 149-152.
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