David Elliot Dickson

David Elliot Dickson was one of the best-known medical practitioners in Fife, and was well-known throughout Scotland. He held the degrees of M.D. of Edinburgh University and F.R.C.S. (Edin.) and practiced in Lochgelly for 42 years.

His work was chiefly among miners, and this led him to a special study of the incidence of miners’ accidents and ailments. On this subject he was an authority, and two years ago (1938) he was commissioned by the Leverhuine Trust on Occupational Research to undertake a standard work on “The Conditions of Miners’ Work on Incidence of Sickness”. Another of Dr Dickson’s special studies was the blood, particularly in relation to accidents and illnesses of miners, and this brought him a close connection with the Edinburgh Harveian Society. In 1931 he was president of the Society, and gave an address on “The Humility of Medicine” which was published in the Edinburgh Medical Journal. He was also the author of Nelson’s Medical Dictionary.

In Fife he was from 1919 till his death (1940) secretary of the county branch of the British Medical Association, latterly in conjunction with Dr Johnstone, Leven, and for nearly 15 years he represented Fife on the B.M.A. Council.

In the national professional sphere he was chairman of the Conference Panel Committee for Scotland and chairman of the National Conference Panel Committee of Great Britain. He was the first Scotsman to hold the latter office. In 1932 he was presented to the King at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his services to his profession.

During the last war he served as medical officer of the 7th Black Watch (Fife Territorials), and was with the battalion during most of the campaign in France. He held the rank of major. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Fife, and in sport he twice represented Scotland in the international angling matches on Loch Leven.

Two of his three sons also went into medical practice in Middlesbrough.

David Elliot Dickson died on 6th July 1940 at the age of sixty-six at the home of his eldest son, Dr David Dickson, in Middlesbrough, whence he had been taken from a nursing home in Edinburgh a week earlier.