James Payne obituary

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/may/28/james-payne

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My father, James Payne, who has died aged 93, was a professor of anaesthetics, a research scientist and a medical politician. His work on the distribution of alcohol in blood, breath and urine led to the introduction of the breathalyser in Britain. He also did research into hypoxia that changed pre- and post-operative practices. Much of his work focused on the safety and effectiveness of anaesthetic agents and on the development of accurate, non-invasive monitoring equipment, now part and parcel of medical care.

He wrote papers on ethics and education and was an expert witness in many legal cases. He was also a prominent member of the British Medical Association. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, he had a strong notion of support for ordinary people and he was a great raconteur.

James was the eldest of four children of James Payne, a chemist, and his wife, Mary (nee Cairney), a draper. He was brought up in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire. His father died when he was 14, and the family moved to Leith, Edinburgh.

After being sacked from a job in a canning factory, James decided he should either become a union man or study medicine. To the disappointment of his mother, who always hoped he would become a priest, he chose medicine. He worked on the Edinburgh to London railway to fund his studies at the University of Edinburgh. He qualified in 1946. 

While a student he suffered a partially detached retina on Army Training Corps exercises and, being unable to read for some weeks, volunteered at the casualty department at Leith hospital, where he gave his first anaesthetic. By the time he qualified, he had given more than 5,000 anaesthetics. He continued his career in anaesthetics and became director of the research department of anaesthetics at the Royal College of Surgeons and a founder member of the Anaesthetic Research Society. He was emeritus professor of anaesthesia at the University of London.

As a student, he had been a member of the Independent Labour party. He believed that there was no point in complaining about something unless you were prepared to act. He became a member of the BMA council and a fellow in 1992. He chaired the BMA scientific committee when the association published its earliest reports on alternative medicine and recreational drugs.

He continued to write and lecture long after his retirement.

His wife, Alice (nee McCorry), predeceased him, as did their son, Jim, who was killed while hang-gliding in 1979. He is survived by three daughters, Josephine, Monica and me, and five grandchildren. He is also survived by Veronica Bishop and their son, Scott.