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Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 15 (2008) 9–10

Obituary

William Ian McDonald, 1933–2006

Professor William Ian McDonald died in his sleep athome in London on 13 December 2006. He was in his73rd year and, along with Derek Denny-Brown, wasone of only a handful of New Zealanders to gain aninternational reputation in neurology. Born in Welling-ton to a Presbyterian family, he abjured the nationalinfatuation with sports early on, preferring instead music,the arts, and scholastic pursuits. Initially, he intended topursue a career as a concert pianist but chose rather tostudy medicine in Dunedin at the University of Otago,where he displayed outstanding academic talent by notonly gaining his BMedSc and MBChB but a PhD inphysiology as well. His research at Otago was on thedemyelinating properties of diphtheria toxin upon the fe-line peripheral nervous system. These pioneering studiesdisclosed the morphological and physiological features,with which we are now so familiar, as characteristic ofthe demyelinating peripheral neuropathies. In 1963, hepublished this work in two landmark papers in Brain,a journal on which 28 years later he was to serve asEditor.

After Otago, Ian travelled to London to train in clinicalneurology at the National Hospital for Neurology andNeurosurgery at Queen Square. His talent was rewarded

doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2007.10.002

early with a fellowship to Harvard Medical School, wherehe worked between 1965 and 1966 at the Boston CityHospital under Professor Denny-Brown. The Boston yearswere productive and on his return to London facilitated anappointment as Consultant Physician at Queen Square.Ian’s research interest in experimental demyelinatingperipheral neuropathy readily translated to demyelinationof the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis was tobe his abiding interest for the balance of his academiccareer.

Along with a team of colleagues at Queen Square, hewas instrumental in the introduction and application ofincreasingly sophisticated technology destined to have alasting impact upon this enigmatic disease: initially, withvisual evoked potentials, and then subsequently withmagnetic resonant imaging. Both modalities appreciablyadvanced not only neurologists’ diagnosis of the diseasebut also their appreciation of its pathophysiology andtreatment. Through his significant contribution to theseadvances, Ian was at the forefront of introducing ameasurable scientific dimension to what had been a pre-dominantly clinical and descriptive approach to thedisease. The thrust of these and his other contributionsled to the well-known McDonald Criteria, combining lab-oratory and clinical features to enhance the accuratediagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Although the eponymembarrassed Ian, who was by nature modest and disin-clined towards self-promotion, the McDonald Criteria re-main a lasting tribute to his place in the history ofneurology.

Ian McDonald’s achievements were recognised at QueenSquare with a personal professorial chair and eventuallywith an appointment as the Institution’s Chairman ofNeurology. His publications included 211 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 103 reviews and book chapters, and 14books coauthored or edited. His numerous publications,lectures, visiting professorships, honorary degrees, andmemberships to distinguished learned societies were prodi-gious. He was particularly proud of his election to the pres-tigious Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti (VenetianInstitute of Science, Letters and Arts), and the interestedreader was able to marvel at the extent, breadth, and

10 Obituary / Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 15 (2008) 9–10

quality of his curriculum vitae, available at the Institute’swebsite.1

After earning most of the honours one could expect inBritish and international neurology, Ian retired fromQueen Square and all clinical work in 1998 to take upthe post of Harveian Librarian at the Royal College ofPhysicians of London, a post that he held until 2004. Hethen withdrew from all medical work to enjoy the pleasuresof music, art, literature, and above all the companionshipof a wide circle of friends. He did this with enthusiasmand panache. He spoke of these years as among his happi-est and most fulfilling. Those who knew him agreed, butthose who knew him and were also in a position to appre-ciate his contributions to British and world neurologyrecognised that something was missing. Inexplicably, andquite unjustifiably, his achievements were never recognisedwith a civil honour. If this rankled, Ian never showed it, orat least accepted it with equanimity.

All the impressive details of Ian McDonald’s profes-sional biography tell us little about the man. Tall, hand-some, always immaculately attired, he was an individualwith a presence, who despite his legendary accomplish-ments never displayed a trace of hubris. He was alwaysapproachable, always ready to help, and above all, alwayspolite and attentive. These qualities were particularlyrecognised and appreciated by the cadre of struggling train-ees sitting at the feet of exalted but sometimes lessapproachable London consultants. Among these youthfulaspiring neurologists were the ‘‘colonials’’, and amongthese the Australians and New Zealanders, many of whomnow represent a generation of neurologists who benefitedfrom his generosity, friendship, and wisdom.

To visit Ian in London was always a special experience.In his last years as Chairman of Neurology at QueenSquare, he was majestically situated in a plush office where

1 http://www.istitutoveneto.it/iv/presentazione/soci/biografia_socio.php?id=223

he would greet his visitors as if his valuable time were irrel-evant. His conversation was leisurely and always directedtowards his guests’ professional activities, family, and aspi-rations – referring to himself only when asked and thensparingly. In later years, when Harveian librarian, Ianwould meet his visitor at the College for lunch and tourthe library. Ian, donning pristine white silk gloves, wouldgently display to his guest an astonishing array of medicalmemorabilia, which might include anything ranging frompriceless historical manuscripts to Brown-Sequard’s mar-riage certificate. All this, more often than not, was followedby an invitation to his beloved London Club, The Garrick,which boasts among its members some of the mostdistinguished British actors, musicians, artists, and menof letters. Here, Ian was in his milieu surrounded byfellow-lovers of the finer things in life. The wine, meal,and conviviality made a memorable evening.

Notwithstanding Ian’s position at the fountainhead ofBritish neurology, he never forgot his New Zealand prove-nance. He and his partner of 25 years, Stanley Hamilton,often returned to visit Ian’s family, his friends, and medicalcolleagues. Soon after entering his seventh decade, he ex-pressed the wish that his ashes were to be scattered at thefoothills of the Alps near the family country home in theSouth Island. Thus, after a long absence and a life livedwell and to the full, Ian is home again. His passing is agreat loss to neurology and he will be missed by his manyfriends and colleagues.

William Wallis MD FRACP11 Waimea Lane, Auckland 1050, New Zealand

E-mail address: BevW@xtra.co.nz

Received 18 October 2007; accepted for publication 21October 2007