Woo Wai-tak, Arthur 胡惠德 (1919-d.1964)

Arthur Woo

updated October 1, 2013.

Obstetrician and Gynecologist; Rotarian to Rejuvenate the Club after WWII.

Diocesan Boys' School; studied Latin and French in England; trained and qualified at Middlesex Hospital 1913; LRCP (Lond.) January 1913; MRCS (Eng.) January 1913; MBBS (Lond.) May 1916;  FRCS (Eng.) May 12, 1949; FICS (Hon.); studied in New York and Baltimore under a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship, including training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. WWI, military hospitals in Britain. Gravesend General Hospital. General Lyinim Hospital. Brompton Hospital. Obstetric and Gynecological House Surgeon, Middlesex Hospital. Peking (Beijing). First Assistant to Professor J. Preston Maxwell, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Peking Union Medical College 協和醫學院. Medical Advisor to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transportation, ROC. Personal physician to ROC President Li Yuanhong 黎元洪. Hong Kong nlt.1919. Registered to practice Hong Kong May 9, 1919. Private practitioner 1919, address: China Building. Lecturer in Gynecology and Obstetrics; Internal Examiner, HKU. Private hospital, honorary consulting gynecologist, Nethersole Hospital; Medical Superintendent (and owner), Babington Hospital 惠德頤養院, Babington Path 巴丙頓道. President, HKCMA 1924-25. Council, HKBMA. President, China Medical Association 中國博醫會 1928 [1]. Y's Men's Club, President 1935, 1936; Governor, South China District 1936. International Medical Relief Committee, Founder and Inaugural Chairman 1937. JP (unofficial) 1938. Residence: #11 Old Bailey 1919. Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, status of the practice unknown. Resumed practice after the war nlt.1948, address 1: 1/F, Alexandra Building 1948; address 2: Edinburgh House 1960s. Director, St. John Ambulance Association, Hong Kong 1952. Largely responsible for the re-establishment of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong 1945 (the Rotary was initially formed in 1932). Honor: King's Silver Jubilee Medal 1935; The British Realm of the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, Associate Serving Brother 1938; Commander 1949. OBE June 10, 1954. Club: Chinese Recreational Club, director.

b. 1888 Hong Kong – d. February 1964 Hong Kong. Protestant, Hong Kong Anglican Church. s/o U I-kai 胡爾楷. Siblings: 1. Katie Woo, PhD. 胡素貞, headmistress of St. Paul’s Girls’ School 1916-52.

Publications: Cervicitis and Its Treatment by the Newer Dyes, [n.l.], 1922. A Study of Three Cases of Leucorrhea, Chinese Medical Journal of China, 1924.

Reverdin's Needle

[Designer of Reverdin-Woo neddle. Woo demonstrated the use of his modification of Reverdin's needle on September 21, 1929 at the Peking Union Medical College. The original Reverdin's needle, a handled needle for surgical use with eye aperture controlled by thumb stud, was invented by Swiss surgeon Jacques L. Reverdin in 1879. The needle is sometime referred to as the Reverdin-Woo needle.]

[Woo went to England in 1921 to receive specialist treatment of undisclosed nature and there was false reports of his death as the result of the treatment.]

[Woo was sued in 1935 by John S.H. Waan, Chinese Secretary to the Italian Consul-General for willful neglect and exposure of a patient, causing grievous injury to health. The patient in question was Wann's 31-month-old daughter, Natalina, who died after having been under the care of Woo. The trial ended after Woo's lawyer submitted no case to answer on the grounds of lack of evidence.]

[1] Woo was the first Chinese elected to the office of President of the China Medical Association 中國博醫會. He was also the last president of the association which in April 1932 amalgamated with the Chinese Medical Association 中華醫學會 and ceased to exist henceforth. The China Medical Association was originally the Medical Missionary Society of Canton founded in February 21, 1838. The words "of Canton" in the name of the society was later replaced by "in China".

Selected bibliography: Address & Papers , Dedication Ceremonies and Medical Conference, Peking Union Medical College, September 15-22, 1921, Peking: Peking Union Medical College, 1922, p.385. British Medical Journal, June 19, 1954, p.1435, Medical Birthday Honors. Carroll, John M., Edge of Empires: Chinese Elites and British Colonials in Hong Kong, Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2005. The China Mail, August 4, 1936, p. 7, Y's Men's Club, Dr. Arthur Woo Re-elected. Hong Kong Daily Press, February 4, 1936, p.7, Y's Men's Clubs, Dr. Arthur Woo. The Hong Kong Government Gazette, May 9, 1919, Notice #205; May 4, 1923, Notice #206; May 9, 1941, Notice #558. The Hong Kong Telegraph, August 15, 1935, p. 7, No Case to Answer, Dr. Arthur Woo Vindicated; September 30, 1937, front page, Coordinating Aid for War Victims, Dr. Arthur Woo Heads Local Organization. London Gazette, January 4, 1938, p.30; June 24, 1949, p.3132. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, June 21, p.7; August 30, 1935, p.11, Well Known Doctor Sued, Neglect of Baby Patient Alleged.