Sir William Whitla

IT is written in the Bible that wve should take time "to praise famous men and our fathers that begat us." This year-the centenary year of the Ulster Medical Society-seemed an appropriate point of time for such remembrance and reflection. I chose, therefore, the name of one, William Whitla, a past President and benefactor of our Society, as the subject of my address. On 11th December, 1933, Sir William Whitla died at his home at Lennoxvale. He was in his eighty-third year and had been confined to his room for some four years following a "stroke." From being a dominant figure, in the forefront of medical, university, and civic occasions, he had almost disappeared in the last decade of his long life from the contemporary life and social scene of the city. It was indeed almost with a sense of shock that one realised that this extraordinary figure had passed on. In his latter years, when visited by his medical friends, it was clear to them that, always a religious man, he had become absorbed in theological matters. I am told that he was surrounded by books concerned with Holy Writ-in particular with the prophet Daniel-and with works relating to miracles and Biblical prophecy, and on these, rather than on medical subjects, he was always anxious for discussion. On 13th December, a miserable winter's day, he was accorded a civic funeral with much pomp and circumstance, attended en route to the City Cemetery with a service at University Road Methodist Church by representatives of Government, university, the medical profession, and many religious organisations. So ended the long lifetime of an outstanding personality and a most distinguished member of our medical school in his time.