Dr Aylmer William May, CMG MA MD BCh BAO (Dublin)

Dr. Aylmer William May

Educated Lismore College, County Waterford, and later at Trinity College, Dublin. His undergraduate medical education took place entirely in Ireland.

From 1900-1902, Dr. A. W. May acted in the capacity of Civil Surgeon, and then became acquainted with the African continent.

After the end of the Boer War he arrived in Rhodesia as Medical Officer at the Globe and Phoenix Mine, Que Que, where he worked from 1902-1904. His brother, Herbert became Superintendent of the Hospital in Pretoria, and it was here that he contracted enteric fever.

1903 - Dr. A. W. May was in London at the London School of Tropical Medicine. In 1905 he obtained the Diplorna of Public Health in Ireland, and in same year he returned to Dublin concentrating on maternity work. He was for a time maternity assistant at the Rotunda Hospital, later becoming the Acting Assistant Master at that hospital.

Dr. May's was next interested in bacteriology and immunology, and he moved to St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, where he worked from 1905-1907 with Sir Almroth Wright in his laboratory.

By 1907, Dr. May was back in Africa. he moved to the Transvaal On 17th December, 1907, the Transvaal Medical Council recommended that Dr. A. W. May be permitted to practise medicine in the Transvaal at the Government laboratories in Johannesburg. Dr. May returned to the Transvaal to act as Government Bacteriologist for a period in 1907-1908. He spent about a year engaged in bacteriological work, and then became Principal Medical Officer of North Western Rhodesia. i 1909 he was appointed Principal Medical Officer Northern Rhodesia. He was responsible for the Governmental medical work and the supervision of the medical services of the staff employed by the Railway authority.

Dr. May contributed to the treatment and eradication of malaria and investigating sleeping sickness, and their vectors - the anopheles mosquito and the tsetse fly. He spent much time in heavily infected areas, and researched into the life history and habits of the tsetse fly.

In 1911 he was appointed to a special Commission to investigate sleeping sickness. He and his party were often miles ahead of the advancing railway, and that it was in such camps that he conducted much of his research.

Dr. Aylmer May continued in this appointment until 1928, and during part of this time he was a member of the North Rhodesia Executive and Legislative Council.

1914 - 1918 World War - Dr. May saw service in German East Africa (now Tanzania) from 1914-1916. The years 1916-1918 saw him in France, where he held the rank of Temporary Major, Royal Army Medical Corps.

Reuter Agency report

""Reuter's Agency is informed that Dr. Aylmer May, Principal Medical Officer of Northern Rhodesia, has been selected by the War Office to undertake research work on 'the Western Front in connection with wound infection. He is now. on his way from South Africa.
Dr. May was the Director of the Commission appointed by the Chartered Company in 1911 which investigated sleeping sickness in the Luangwa Valley in Rhodesia. During the present war he has served, with the rank of temporary surgeon-major, as Principal Medical Officer to the Forces operating in Northern Rhodesia against German

East and South West Africa."

At the end of the War Dr. May returned to Northern Rhodesia and continued in his post as Principal Medical Officer until 1928. (In 1924, he had been awarded the honour of the C.M.G.).

Dr. May resigned his post in favour of becoming Principal Medical Officer of the Railways. He served the Railways from 1928-1938, when he retired at the age of 64 years.

At outbreak of war in 1939, Southern Rhodesia found itself depleted in its medical ranks and Dr. Andrew Martin, the Medical Director invited him to become Medical Superintendent of the Salisbury Hospital. After the end of the War, Dr. May retired to his house in Bulawayo where he lived until he died at the age of 76 years.

Reference https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/CAJM/22/7/2713.pdf?expire...

See also - http://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=1872

• First Name: Alymer William
• Surname: May
• Regiments served with:

• North Rhodesia Medical Corps Temporary Major
  
• Royal Army Medical Corps Temporary Major
  

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• First Name: Aylmer William
• Surname: May
• Information: Principal Medical Officer, Northern Rhodesia
• More Information: Awards made in the bi-annual Honours Lists for which no theatre of award was named.
• Rank: Mr
• Gazette Date: 03/06/1924
• Gazette Page: 4410
• Archive Reference: cha