Charles Frederick Morris Saint

Charles Saint was born in Bedlington, Northumberland. His unique contribution to medical science was his discovery that more than one condition might be responsible for a patient's clinical signs and symptoms. 

‘Saint's triad’, the concurrence of hiatus hernia, gallstones and colonic diverticulosis is named after him. The clinical significance of this triad is that when a patient with hiatal hernia is found to have either gallstones or diverticulosis, there is a high chance that the third disease is also present. 

 At the age of 16 Charles enrolled in the Durham University College of Medicine, Newcastle and was awarded the Tullock Scholarship for anatomy and physics. After graduating with first-class honours in 1908, he was House Surgeon at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, then he became Leading Surgeon at the Fleming Memorial Children’s Hospital, Newcastle. 

 At the beginning of the first World War he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and was sent to France. He was awarded the Médaille d’Honneur (gold medal) by France in 1916 as an outstanding testimony, having distinguished himself through exceptional acts towards his fellow citizens. He had responded to a civilian request to help in a local hospital and performed over 400 operations. He also received the military CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1919. 

While in France he met Marie Curie (famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity) who used her “petite Curie” vans as mobile X-ray units on the front line. They became great friends and stayed in touch until her death in 1934. 

After the War he was appointed Chair of Surgery at the University of Cape Town South Africa. The Chair of Paediatric Surgery at the Red Cross Memorial Hospital in Cape Town is named in Charles’ honour. During his time as Professor of Surgery he inspired many and left an extraordinary legacy of having trained 7 Professors of Surgery. 

He retired in 1947 after a distinguished career and moved to the Channel Island of Sark, where he died in 1973. In his memory, the Charles FM Saint Trust raises funds to serve the medical needs of the people of Sark.