# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Day, George Edward

​DAY, GEORGE EDWARD (1815–1872), physician, was born on 4 Aug. 1815 at Tenby, Pembrokeshire. He was the son of George Day of Manorabon House, Swansea, who had inherited the fortunes of his father, George Day, physician to the nabob of Arcot, and his uncle, Sir John Day, solicitor-general in Bengal. The mother of George Edward Day was Mary Hale, a descendant of Sir Matthew Hale, and after his father's ruin by the failure of a bank in 1826 he was brought up by his grandmother, Mrs. Hale. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1833, and after one term obtained a scholarship at Pembroke College, where he graduated as twenty-ninth wrangler in 1837. He studied medicine in Edinburgh, where he obtained several medals. He took his M.A. degree at Cambridge in 1840. In 1843 he began practice in London, becoming a member of the College of Physicians in 1844, and a fellow in 1847. He was physician to the Western General Dispensary, and lecturer on materia medica at Middlesex Hospital. In 1849 he became Chandos professor of anatomy and medicine at St. Andrews, and obtained the M.D. degree from Giessen. He was a popular professor, and carried out reforms in the M.D. examination. He broke his arm in an accident upon Helvellyn in 1857, and never recovered the nervous shock. In 1863 changes were made in St. Andrews by an act of parliament, in consequence of which Day retired upon an ample pension. He settled at Torquay for the benefit of his health, but became a permanent invalid. He bore his sufferings with heroic patience and worked with persistent energy. He died on 31 Jan. 1872.
In 1841 he married Ellen Anna, daughter of James Buckton, solicitor, of Doctors' Commons and of Wrexham. By her he had two sons and four daughters.
Day was an industrious contributor to periodical literature and the publications of learned societies. His works included: 1. Reports on medical subjects to Ranking's ‘Half-yearly Abstract of the Medical Sciences,’ vols. i. ii. iii. iv. and vi. 2. A translation ​of J. F. Simon's ‘Animal Chemistry,’ with introduction and additions (2 vols. 8vo, 1845), for the Sydenham Society. 3. Translation of Julius Vogel's ‘Pathological Anatomy of the Human Body’ (1 vol., 1847). 4. ‘A Practical Treatise on the Domestic Management and most important Diseases of Advanced Life’ (1 vol., 1851). 5. Translation of C. G. Lehmann's ‘Physiological Chemistry’ for the Cavendish Society in 1851. 6. Translation of Rokitansky's ‘Pathological Anatomy of the Organs of Respiration’ for the Sydenham Society in 1852. 7. ‘Chemistry in its relations to Physiology and Medicine,’ 1860. He contributed a great number of articles to ‘Chambers's Encyclopædia,’ including nearly all articles upon anatomy, physiology, and medicine from D, and all articles upon chemistry from H. He published lectures and articles in the ‘Medical Times and Gazette’ and ‘Lancet,’ and contributed to ‘Nature,’ ‘Chambers's Journal,’ ‘All the Year Round,’ the ‘Journal of Mental Science,’ ‘Once a Week,’ and the ‘British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review.’ He was elected F.R.S. in 1850, and was member of many learned societies.
[Information from Mrs. Day.]