James Douglas (English Version)

Played by Kevin McCoy

Born on May 20th 1800 in Brechin, Scotland, James Douglas was the son of George Douglas, Methodist minister, and of Mary Mellis.

In 1813, Douglas began a medical apprenticeship under a doctor in Penrith, England. In 1818, he studied surgery at the Edinburgh School of Medecine. A year later, he worked as a surgeon on a whaling ship before returning to his studies at the Edinburgh College of Surgeons, and at the London College of Surgeons.

Douglas practiced medicine for a year in India and, upon returning to the UK in 1822, he accepted the direction of medical services for a new colony being set up in Honduras. After this colonial experiment failed in 1823, he was sent to Boston to receive treatment for Yellow Fever. He lived for several years in central New York, where he set up a medical practice and taught at the Auburn Medical College.

During the winter of 1825-1826, Douglas was forced to flee the United States to avoid being arrested for the illegal dissection of two stolen cadavers. He settled down in Quebec City, where he worked in rooms provided by Doctor Joseph Painchaud.

In 1837, Douglas became head doctor and director of the Marine and Emigrant Hospital in Quebec City. In the early years of his direction, the hospital gained a positive reputation and provided teaching that was both recognized and appreciated by the medical and academic sectors.