NIHERST: Caribbean Icons in STI

Dr Arthur Cecil Cyrus was born on 6th January 1929 in Layou. At age 7 he was saddened that the visiting district doctor tended only those with a shilling, and departed, leaving the care of the needy to the nurse. Thus was born his consuming passion to be a doctor.

At the age of 10, his father took him to live in Kingstown where within 6 months he was promoted from Standard 3 to 6. In July 1940 he won a scholarship to the St Vincent Boys’ Grammar School. There, he had a not undistinguished career, leaving in December 1947 with the Cambridge Higher School Certificate.

To gain admission to medical school, he had to teach himself the science subjects which he hated and failed at school. Within a few months he obtained A in Chemistry and Biology in the Cambridge School Certificate Examination, and one year later, he passed Physics and got As in Chemistry and Biology in the Cambridge Higher School Certificate Examination; thereby learning that limits exist only in the mind.

In October 1950 he entered Queen’s University, Belfast. He had a distinguished undergraduate career, gaining a scholarship in each of the 4 professional examinations, as well as a prize in therapeutics, and the Magrath Clinical Scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He was the first overseas student to win the coveted Symington Medal in Anatomy in 1953, and a scholarship for B.Sc. Honours in Anatomy.

In 1961 he passed the FRCS of England and Edinburgh. Then, a vintage 13 months in York, England, prepared him fully for his protean surgical roles in St Vincent. Thereafter, he did 6 months training each in pediatrics and midwifery in Belfast. In December 1963 he returned to St Vincent to fulfil his life’s dream.

He was appointed consultant surgeon to the Colonial Hospital. There, conditions were unsatisfactory, with chronic, avoidable shortage of personnel, equipment, drugs, space and basic ancillary facilities. Refusing to be demoralised and to return posthaste to the glittering, beckoning lights of Britain, the not uncommon solution, he decided to MAKE DO with whatever was available.

The first trained surgeon and FRCS in St Vincent, he had to don the mantle of several specialists, as he laboured for very long hours, seeing and operating on the huge backlog of patients with a wealth of diverse diseases remediable by surgery. To complement his range of care, he obtained a Commonwealth Fellowship in ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London in 1968. He passed the Diploma in Ophthalmology and also that in Obstetrics during that year.

To ensure his survival as a practising surgeon, he had to open his own private Botanic Hospital in January 1976. There, he continued to provide the same high standard of medical care, making his fees affordable to the indigent.

Stunned by the great diversity and grossness of diseases, he began to photograph them, and also started a museum of morbid specimens. After 25 years, his 3,000 colour photographs, 1,000 pathological specimens and numerous x-ray pictures formed the basis for his book, A Clinical and Pathological Atlas: The Records of a Surgeon in St Vincent, The West Indies. It received glowing reviews in 10 journals, as well as in numerous personal letters.

“His superbly literate writing is full of wise counsel and observation…but shining through it all is the humility of a truly noble individual.”

“Cecil Cyrus could…have graced a chair of surgery in any part of the world – instead he chose to serve the community in which he had previously lived. This book complements the man and shows how his academic drive persisted through a lifetime in surroundings that could well have discouraged others.”

“This is the most important scientific publication from or on the Caribbean since 1725.”

Queen’s University awarded him the Master of Surgery degree, MCH, for his Atlas. Dr Cyrus also presented 19 medical papers to the Commonwealth Caribbean Medical Research Council Meetings, and 22 others regionally and in Britain. His publications number eleven booklets and his Pathological Atlas.

He retired on 31 August 2001, and immediately converted his clinic into the Dr Cecil Cyrus Museum, with about 700 colour photographs, as many morbid specimens, locally made instruments and appliances designed for making do, domestic appliances and other articles of yesteryear, local animals, and many other memorabilia. A few of the numerous comments: “A generous sharing of the human experience through medical science. A great contribution to Caribbean knowledge and professional excellence.” “This museum is a Diamond of Science and Philosophy and Medicine of the Caribbean located in Kingstown, and its Keeper is Dr. A Cecil Cyrus, a wonderful, humble man.”

In 1983 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire, OBE. In 2002 he received an award as a Local Health Hero from the Pan American Health Organization, and his photograph was depicted on a commemorative stamp. In 2003, he was awarded the CMG, Companion of the Most Excellent Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, for service in the field of medicine.

A keen sportsman, he played cricket and football for the Grammar School locally and in the Windward Islands Inter-Secondary Schools’ Tournament in Grenada in 1947. He played cricket for his university’s B team and squash for its A team. He introduced squash to St Vincent in 1966. In 1981, he and his wife sponsored and hosted the first Caribbean Junior Squash Championships in St Vincent, a great milestone in the development of Caribbean squash. He built 5 squash courts, and spent much time and money promoting especially junior squash in St Vincent, thereby protecting the youths from the snare of drugs. St Vincent has produced several regional champions due to his efforts. He also captained the senior team from 1976 to 1988 and found time in between to serve as Deputy Governor General from 1985 to 1986. Dr Cyrus received a Diploma from the International Olympic Committee for contribution to sport and Olympism.

He has also given community service through delivering radio and television broadcasts. He has delivered more than 60 public lectures on diverse topics, many addressed to youth.

Dr Cyrus is married to the former Kathryn McTurk of York, England. They have 2 daughters and 2 sons and 9 grandchildren. His wife, a nurse, worked with him during his 38 years of practice, and was a vital ingredient in all that he achieved.

Now curator of his museum, Dr Cyrus has fulfilled his childhood dream of improving the quality and quantity of life of his people, and in lifting the standard of surgery and medicine generally. His rewards are best stated in his ruling philosophies of life: From Terence, “I am a man, and nothing human is foreign to me.” From Seneca, “He that does good to another man does also good to himself; not only in the consequence, but in the act of doing it; for the consciousness of well-doing is an ample reward.” And from an unknown author “Life is beautiful. To preserve life is beautiful.”

This Icon is also featured in the Video Documentary and Kids’ Booklet :

Sources:

Interview with Dr Cecil Cyrus

The Doctor Cecil Cyrus Museum

Selected Publications:

Cyrus, A. C. (1991) A Clinical and Pathological Atlas: The Records of a Surgeon in St Vincent, WI. The Botanic Clinic 280 pp.

Cyrus, A. C. (1983) The Feature Address Delivered by Dr Cecil Cyrus at the St Martin’s Secondary School Annual Speech Evening and Prize Giving Ceremony on Thursday, 30th June, 1983. 10 pp. Pamph.

Cyrus, A. C. (1982) The Game of Life: The Feature Address Delivered by Dr Cecil A Cyrus at the St Vincent Grammar School Annual Speech Evening and Prize-Giving Ceremony on Thursday 3rd December, 1981. (Kingstown: Gov’t Printer) 11 pp. pamph.

Arthur Cecil Cyrus - General Surgeon

Sources:

Arthur Cecil Cyrus
- General Surgeon