Edward Warren Hine Shenton

Edward Warren Hine Shenton began his medical studies at Guy's Hospital in October, 1893. While still a student he was employed as radiographer at Guy’s Hospital, contemporaneously with A. H. B. Kirkman. The two collaborated to give a practical demonstration of the application of the Roentgen rays in medicine before the Pupils' Physical Society, a report of which was printed in Guy's Hospital Gazette of November 4, 1899.

Roentgenology became Shenton’s true metier; its great possibilities absorbed his whole attention before and after he qualified. He made several original contributions to his specialty, including a special apparatus for the detection of metallic foreign bodies, and the excellence of his x-ray photographs became well known outside Guy's. As a result, he was in popular demand as a demonstrator of the then new science before local medical societies.

He resigned from the post of senior surgical radiographer at Guy's in 1919 because of the pressure of emergency work, particularly his work as radiologist to the Royal Air Force Central Hospital. For his distinguished services during the First World War he was awarded the Red Cross gold medal.

After the war Shenton developed his consultant practice in Harley Street, and his fame and skill brought him much work. In addition, he was honorary radiographer to St. Peter's Hospital, and for a year he had been medical officer in charge of the electrical department at the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital. From 1933 to 1950, when he retired, he was honorary radiologist to
St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester.

A great lover of music, he composed a number of songs, mostly for children. He not only played the violin well in orchestras and as a soloist, but one of his hobbies was making violins. Soon after the end of the First World War he wrote the libretto and much of the musical score of a revue performed at the Hippodrome, Golders Green, in aid of St. Dunstan's, and in which he played a leading part, for he was also an actor of merit.

Shenton was elected an honorary member of the Trinity College of Music, London, in 1944. Another activity was sailing, and he built a 10-ton yacht in the grounds of his home at Golders Green. Shenton had a great zest for life and for work, and he did not give up professional work until his 78th year. He married Miss Phoebe Hollis in 1900, and she collaborated in all his many activities. The sympathy of their many friends will be extended to her in her great loss.

From the obituary (anonymous) in British Medical Journal, November 19, 1955: 1273-1274.

We thank Tony Lamont and Dave Morgan, UK, for information submitted.

• Disease in Bones, its Detection by the X Rays. 1911,
• A Descriptive Atlas of Visceral Radiograms.
  Eited jointly with Alfred Pilkington Bertwistle (1896-1962).
  St. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1926.
• The Röentgen rays as a means of diagnosis. With A. H. B. Kirkman.
  Guy’s Hospital Gazette. 1899: 462-464.