Page 46 - HKU Surgery 110 Anniversary E-Book

Chapter II: Hong Kong’s First Academic Surgical Unit

Drums of War

Digby also proposed in a 1941 paper On December 8, 1941, the momentum built up by Digby and others in the Faculty
that an intracellular virus might came to a crashing halt when the Japanese military invaded Hong Kong. All ordinary
be responsible for nasopharyngeal life ended and many fled the city, including a number of medical students who
carcinoma after observing that more continued their studies in Free China as much as possible.
than one member of a family may
be affected . The virus responsible, Digby refused an invitation by the Japanese military to continue surgical work at
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Epstein-Barr, was not discovered until Queen Mary Hospital, so they detained him at Stanley prisoner-of-war camp for
the 1960s. Another area where he made four years with other Faculty members. During his internment, he established
an impact was in the understanding and a camp hospital and an
development of orthopaedics in Hong improvised operating theatre,
Kong, which in those days was under and contributed much to the
the purview of general surgeons. His medical care and morale of
studies included the properties of ivory the 3,000-odd internees. He
as a material for use in bone surgery , also held meetings at the
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and the methods for treating ingrown camp, as acting Dean, that
toenails . In a sense, Digby anticipated mapped out plans for the
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the specialty of orthopaedics in Hong post-war development of the
Kong, which would become its own Faculty and Department.
specialty and department after the War.
Unfortunately, Digby himself
would not be able to play a
role in realising these plans.
In 1945, he emerged from
his detention weakened by
chronic malnutrition and
vitamin deficiency. His poor
health forced him to retire as
Chair of Surgery, although he
Adapted from British Journal of Surgery, 1941.
was honoured with the title
Professor Emeritus. Digby

“Research is an especial obligation upon China and the Chinese. It is incumbent returned to England in 1949
upon the University to provide facilities and encouragement to foster the spirit of where he continued to solicit
research in students.” support for HKU. He died
- Professor Digby, in his inaugural address as President of the Medical there of cancer in 1954.
Society, which he co-founded with Dr GH Thomas in 1914 - Note of Digby’s plan for the Department of Surgery
while he was detained at Stanley in 1943.

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