Thomas Moore Philson

Thomas Moore Philson (1817 to 1899) was a medical doctor born in Derry, County Londonderry, Ireland, who became a New Zealand physician and surgeon and superintendent of Auckland Hospital. He graduated MD and MRCS at the University of Edinburgh in 1839, where he won the Ballingall Prize for military surgery, and was commissioned assistant surgeon in the 58th Regiment of Foot in 1843, arriving in New Zealand in 1845. After leaving the army in 1851 he set up a private practice in Auckland and held coroner, port medical officer and prison surgeon posts. He was surgeon and superintendent of Auckland Hospital from 1859 until 1883, advocated from 1868 for the new hospital that opened in 1877, and cared for patients regardless of their means. On his retirement he used a gift of 270 sovereigns to found a medical library for students, which became the Philson Library of the University of Auckland medical school.