Thomas Houston and the founding of clinical pathology at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

At the turn of the century there was an exciting expansion of knowledge and understanding of disease. William Osler commented "diseases familiar to our fathers and grandfathers have disappeared the public health measures have lessened the sorrows and brightened the lives of millions". It was the age of medical individualists, of men of outstanding ability, breadth of learning and great clinical skill. The doctor of this period was dependent upon his knowledge, his judgement, his five senses, few instruments and very few effective remedies. Help from a laboratory was only provided in teaching hospitals by University Departments of Pathology, which maintained autopsy and biopsy services and also performed some bacteriological examinations. As the clinical, as well as the academic commitments increased in these departments it became necessary to appoint assistants. In the year 1900, a Dr Thomas Houston was appointed Assistant Pathologist to Dr Lorraine Smith, then Lecturer in Pathology to the Queen's College Belfast, and Pathologist to the Royal Victoria Hospital. On that day clinical pathology at the Royal was born, for it was largely due to the efforts and influence of this man that the hospital laboratories, as we know them today, came into being.