<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> British scientist Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark was one of the most distinguished anatomists, neuroscientists and physical anthropologists of the twentieth century. He spent most of his career at the University of Oxford as the Chair of the Anatomy Department. This paper focuses on Le Gros Clark’s early career and provides a historical account of the three years he spent as a Principal Medical Officer in Sarawak, which was then a British controlled state on the island of Borneo. At Sarawak he carried out numerous medical, administrative, and educational duties, making significant improvements to the local health system. His success as the Principal Medical Officer came not only as a result of his medical knowledge and organizational skills, but also because of his extensive knowledge and understanding of the local cultures. Interested in the natural history of the country, Le Gros Clark also collected specimens of the local fauna. These would provide material for some of his most significant research carried out when he took an academic position in England. Years in Sarawak enriched Le Gros Clark not only as a scientist and medical practitioner, but also had a deep influence on his general outlook on life and personal development.</p></abstract>

British scientist Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark was one of the most distinguished anatomists, neuroscientists and physical anthropologists of the twentieth century. He spent most of his career at the University of Oxford as the Chair of the Anatomy Department. This paper focuses on Le Gros Clark’s early career and provides a historical account of the three years he spent as a Principal Medical Officer in Sarawak, which was then a British controlled state on the island of Borneo. At Sarawak he carried out numerous medical, administrative, and educational duties, making significant improvements to the local health system. His success as the Principal Medical Officer came not only as a result of his medical knowledge and organizational skills, but also because of his extensive knowledge and understanding of the local cultures. Interested in the natural history of the country, Le Gros Clark also collected specimens of the local fauna. These would provide material for some of his most significant research carried out when he took an academic position in England. Years in Sarawak enriched Le Gros Clark not only as a scientist and medical practitioner, but also had a deep influence on his general outlook on life and personal development.

History of Asian Biomedicine. Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark: the Sarawak years

Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Sydney,

Asian Biomedicine

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"History of Asian Biomedicine. Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark: the Sarawak years"}

British scientist Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark was one of the most distinguished anatomists, neuroscientists and physical anthropologists of the twentieth...

History of Asian Biomedicine. Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark: the Sarawak years

Published Online: Feb 04, 2017

Page range: 429 - 433

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5372/1905-7415.0803.311

Keywords
Anatomy, history of medicine, neuroscience, physical anthropology, Sarawak, Wilfrid Le Gros Clark

© 2017

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

History of Asian Biomedicine. Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark: the Sarawak years

Published Online: Feb 04, 2017

Page range: 429 - 433

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5372/1905-7415.0803.311

KeywordsAnatomy, history of medicine, neuroscience, physical anthropology, Sarawak, Wilfrid Le Gros Clark

© 2017

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Anatomy, history of medicine, neuroscience, physical anthropology, Sarawak, Wilfrid Le Gros Clark