Obituaries.(Brief Article)

Obstetrician and gynaecologist who worked with Fleming on the role of penicillin in treating venereal disease

During the second world war Jack Suchet was initially retained at St Mary's, where he was not only registrar in the department of obstetrics but also became assistant and then director of the department of venereology. He became adviser in venereology to the war office and because of this appointment he worked closely with Sir Alexander Fleming on the role of penicillin in the revolutionary treatment of venereal disease. Jack jointly published papers with Fleming on this subject.

Military service with the Royal Army Medical Corps then saw Jack in Egypt and Palestine. After his return he continued as registrar and then senior registrar in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology. An excellent teacher, he was much in demand by his colleagues' wives.

Jack Suchet had come to England from South Africa in 1932. He did his pre-clinical studies at the University of Cape Town and then, when he had saved sufficient funds, he moved to London to do his clinical studies. He entered St Mary's Hospital Medical School in 1933 and while there won prize exams in surgery, ophthalmology, and obstetrics and gynaecology. After qualifying, he was junior resident house officer in obstetrics followed by house surgeon to the professorial surgical unit. It was while in the obstetrics department that he decided to pursue a career in that specialty.

In 1953 his …