‘Reminiscences of a Student’s Life at Edinburgh in the Seventies’ (1870s) by George Skelton Stephenson of The Manor House, Grimsby 1918.

Published by Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh in 1918. George Skelton Stephenson J.P., M.D., M.B., C.M., physician and surgeon (1849-1929) wrote this book under the pseudonym “Alisma”. (Alisma is a flowering plant commonly known as water-plantain.) See the portrait and history of George Skelton Stephenson on this site. He was born in Grimsby, he worked in Grimsby and he died in Grimsby.

The book is dedicated to the students at Edinburgh with George Skelton Stephenson from 1871 to 1875. The book has many tales to tell of the great men of those days and George’s life in Edinburgh. He passed examinations in botany, zoology and chemistry before specialising in medicine. His love of botany is clear. George’s Professor of Clinical Surgery was Mr Joseph Lister, the pioneer of antiseptic surgery. George was obviously in awe of him.

George Skelton Stephenson graduated as a bachelor of medicine (BM) on 2nd August 1875. His ‘happy band’ broke up and became scattered over the earth. George didn’t return to Edinburgh until 1889 when he graduated M.D. He found it a melancholy business compared to his exciting student days in the 1870s. He finishes the book, “Looking back, how happy those days were! Looking forward, how much we all now owe to them! Vale! Vale! Vale!”

Note: The book has at least 20 fine portraits of professors and other eminent characters.