Sir Donald Harrison
Authors: C. Richmond
Journal: BMJ (2003)

Sir Donald Harrison was one of the leading ear, nose, and throat surgeons of his day. He specialised in difficult cancer cases and devised a “pull up” operation that allowed many patients who had had their voice boxes removed to develop a usable, though hoarse, voice. He was also an expert on the comparative anatomy of the voice boxes of mammals.​mammals.




Figure 1




Harrison was a house surgeon at Guy's and then at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. As a registrar at the Shrewsbury Eye and Ear Hospital he saw a five year old child bleed extensively after a tonsil operation. The hospital had no blood bank and so the patient was transported 15 miles to the nearest large hospital, but was dead on arrival. After that, Harrison campaigned for a government inquiry into the risks of tonsillectomy. He was also one of the band of leading doctors who warned the public about the dangers of chewing tobacco, which led the British government to ban the sale of a product called Skoal Bandits.

In 1962 he was appointed as consultant surgeon at the Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital in London, and a year later was appointed professor at its associated academic institution, the Institute of Laryngology and Otology. For many years he was Britain's only professor in the specialty. He held these appointments until his retirement in 1990, having spent the final year as dean. In 1990 he was knighted for services to ear, nose, and throat surgery. He was given the title of emeritus surgeon to Moorfields Eye Hospital in 1991.

Harrison had a lifelong interest in the voice boxes of mammals, and had an animal pathology collection that included specimens from London Zoo's most famous gorilla, Guy, and elephants, polar bears, penguins, and bats (which are especially interesting as they use echolocation).

He had many papers published in learned journals, especially on cancer surgery, and wrote or coedited several books, including The Anatomy and Physiology of the Mammalian Larynx, Tumours of the Upper Jaw, and Felix Semon (1849-1921): a Victorian Laryngologist. He also wrote chapters in textbooks on general and ear, nose, and throat surgery.

An examiner for universities in Britain, Australia, and Hong Kong, he was on the editorial board of several learned journals, and was an honorary member of otolaryngology societies in Australia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, Jamaica, the Philippines, Poland, Spain, Yugoslavia, and the United States.

A brilliant speaker who didn't use notes, he was invited to speak in many countries, giving many of the prestigious medical lectures of the English-speaking world. He also gave talks on Richard III and the princes in the Tower, one of his many interests. His forensic knowledge led to his conviction that one of the jaw bones in the Tower was not authentic, while the other was, showing traces of hereditary disease.

When his wife died in 2000 he took up gourmet cooking. He leaves two daughters.

Sir Donald Frederick Norris Harrison, ear, nose, and throat surgeon Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital 1962-90 and professor of laryngology and otology University of London 1963-90 and dean, 1989-90, Institute of Laryngology and Otology, Gray's Inn Road (b 1925; q Guy's Hospital, London, 1948; MS, MD, FRCS, FRCOphth), died from bowel cancer on 12 April 2003.