James Mackenzie

Biography

• Born 12 April 1853 in Scone near Perth, Scotland.
• Attended Perth Academy until the age of 15, before leaving to be an apprentice to a chemist in Perth.
• At 21 started his medical studies at The University of Edinburgh.
• Graduating in 1878, worked initially at Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary before entering General Practice in Burnley.
• Worked in General Practice in Burnley between 1879 and 1902, developing a keen research interest in heart failure.
• 1892 published his work which included his clinical polygraph, in a paper entitled ‘The Study of the Pulse, Arterial, Venous and Hepatic and the Movements of the Heart’
• Moved to London in 1907 where he practiced as a cardiologist, becoming head of the cardiac department at the Mount Vernon hospital for Diseases of the Chest in 1913.
• 1915 – Knighted by King George V.
• Moved to St Andrews where he refocused his work on general practice, establishing the ‘James Mackenzie Institute for Clinical Research’ at St Andrews University.
• Died 26 January 1925, ironically of ischaemic heart disease

Major Publications

• Mackenzie J. Clinical report of a case of hemiparaplegia spinalis with remarks (Thesis). University of Edinburgh. 1882
• Mackenzie J. The study of the pulse, arterial, venous, and hepatic, and of the movements of the heart. Edinburgh Y.J. Pentland. 1902.
• Mackenzie J. Diseases of the heart. London: Hodder & Stoughton. 1908
• Mackenzie J. Symptoms and their interpretation. London: Shaw. 1909
• Mackenzie J. Digitalis. Heart 1911;2(4)
• Mackenzie J. Principles of diagnosis and treatment in heart affections. London: Henry Frowde, Hodder & Stoughton. 1916.
• Mackenzie J. The future of medicine. London: Henry Frowde, Hodder & Stoughton. 1919
• Mackenzie J. Heart disease and pregnancy. London: Henry Frowde, Hodder & Stoughton. 1921
• Mackenzie J. Angina pectoris. London: Henry Frowde, Hodder & Stoughton. 1923

Notable Quotables

I was not long engaged in my new sphere when I realized that I was unable to recognize the ailments in the great majority of my patients…For some years I went blundering on, gradually falling into a routine, i.e. giving some drug that seemed to act favourably on the patient, till I became dissatisfied with my work and resolved to try and improve my knowledge by more careful observation

References

• Mackenzie B. Eponymythology: History of Second-degree AV block. LITFL 2018
• McConaghey RMS. Sir James Mackenzie, M.D. 1853-1925. General Practitioner. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1974 Jul; 24(144): 497–498.
• Waterston D, Orr J, Cappell DF. Sir James Mackenzie’s Heart. Br Heart J. 1939 Jul; 1(3): 237–248.
• Sir James Mackenzie 1853-1925 Beloved Clinician. JAMA. 1966;196(6):591-592
• Montieth WBR. Bibliography With Synopsis of the Original Papers of the Writings of Sir James Mackenzie. London: Oxford University Press. 1930.
• Stevenson I. Sir James Mackenzie, 1853-1953. Am Heart J. 1953 Oct;46(4):479-84.
• McCormick JS. James Mackenzie and coronary heart disease. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1981 Jan; 31(222): 26–30.
• Krikler DM. Sir James Mackenzie. Clin Cardiol. 1988 Mar;11(3):193-4.
• McMichael J. Sir James Mackenzie and atrial fibrillation–a new perspective. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1981 Jul; 31(228): 402–406
• Murdoch JC. Mackenzie’s puzzle–the cornerstone of teaching and research in general practice. Br J Gen Pract. 1997;47(423):656–658.
• Murdoch J, Denz-Penhey H. John Flynn meets James Mackenzie: developing the discipline of rural and remote medicine in Australia. Rural Remote Health. 2007 Oct-Dec;7(4):726. Epub 2007 Oct 10.
• Smith C, Silverman M. A letter from Sir James Mackenzie to Dr. Carter Smith, Sr. Circulation. 1975;51:212-217