N. GORDON CLUCKIE

    DR. CLUCKIE may be regarded as the senior ophthalmic surgeon in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, having practised purely as an oculist since 1880. He was born in Campbeltown in 1852. He received his early education at St. John's Grammar School, Hamilton, and afterwards attended science classes in the old Andersonian University in George Street, Glasgow. He joined the arts classes at Glasgow University in 1873, and in 1880 graduated M.B., C.M., and became L.F.P.S.G. He received his early training as an eye specialist at Glasgow Ophthalmic Institution, where for five years, while still attending the University classes, he acted as Assistant Surgeon.
    At that time the importance of teaching ophthalmology was not recognised as it now is, and it was largely due to Dr. Cluckie's initiative that cliniques were formed for educating students and medical practitioners in this special branch of the profession. The chairman of the managers was the late James White of Overtoun, who annually presented valuable prizes, and contributed much to the success of the classes, which became the largest of any medical school in Scotland.
    In 1880, on the recommendation of several of the professors of the University, and medical friends, Dr. Cluckie was appointed first Oculist under the newly constituted Ferguson Eye Bequest at Greenock.
    Accommodation was then given at the General Infirmary in Greenock for the treatment of eye cases, but Dr. Cluckie had only been there a short time when he found that the requirements of an eye department were quite insufficient for the number of cases daily seeking treatment. In recognition of his devoted services to Provost Anderson Rodger, shipbuilder, Port-Glasgow, that gentleman presented to Greenock the handsome Eye Hospital in which Dr. Cluckie has carried on the successful treatment of thousands of cases during the last twenty-eight years.
    Following the success of this establishment in Greenock Dr. Cluckie in 1888 began a similar institution in Paisley. This also proved highly successful, and resulted in the gift to the town by Provost Archibald Mackenzie of Milliken, as a jubilee offering, of the present Royal Victoria Eye Infirmary, over which Dr. Cluckie also presides.
Although resident in Greenock, Dr. Cluckie carries on a large consulting practice daily in Glasgow. There are few considerable towns in the kingdom to-day without an ophthalmic surgeon, but twenty years ago such a specialist was all but unknown, and to Dr. Cluckie is fairly due the credit of being the pioneer of the development.
    During his early years in Greenock, Dr. Cluckie devoted considerable attention to municipal affairs, and for long filled the positions of Magistrate, Burgh Treasurer and Convener of the Committee on Public Health. On his retiral his colleagues in the Council presented him with valuable silver plate. He is at present a member of the County Council of Argyll.

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