On 26 March 2006, Dr Oswald Taylor Brown died aged 89 in Dundee, where he had been appointed as Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine in September 1951.
He was born in Glasgow and educated at Glasgow High School and Strathallan. He qualified in Medicine from the University of Glasgow shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, when he served as a doctor with the RAF. He was decorated during active service following the invasion of Europe, and gained the rank of Squadron Leader.
Following the war he returned to work in Glasgow where his interest in the new specialty of geriatrics was encouraged by Professor Noah Morris, who foresaw some of the changing medical requirements of an aging population. He was also influenced by the work of Dr Marjory Warren at the West Middlesex Hospital in developing specialist services for elderly patients.
Dr Taylor Brown’s appointment in geriatric medicine was the first of its kind in Scotland. The new service started in Maryfield Hospital, but he soon expanded it into many hospitals throughout Tayside. The effective treatment of tuberculosis with Streptomycin freed many beds in the new Health Service, and he often acknowledged the significant contribution this made to the expansion of his service, which was based on a combination of acute admission and rehabilitation units, supported by adequate beds for long term care.
Ten years later he opened the first university department of geriatric medicine in the country, and in 1968 he was awarded an OBE for his services to geriatric medicine. He was a founder member and former council member of the British Geriatric Society.
For over 40 years he was an enthusiastic member and former President of the Dundee Rotary Club. He was a Deacon of the Bonnetmaker Craft Guild, and at one time was Deacon Convener of the Nine Trade in Dundee.
After retiring from clinical work in 1979 he worked part-time for several years as an adviser to the old Eastern Regional Hospital Board, and was a founding member of the retirement council in Dundee. He is survived by his wife Agnes, son David, daughter Elizabeth and five grandchildren.