John Crofton

Sir John Wenman Crofton (27 March 1912 – 3 November 2009 ) was a pioneer in the treatment of tuberculosis, who also spent the better part of his life raising awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco.

Education In 1930 Crofton matriculated at Sidney Sussex College in the University of Cambridge, eventually earning an MB in 1937 and MD in 1947. During his studies he was a keen rock-climber, making frequent expeditions to the Scottish Highlands, and pioneering a number of climbs, one of which (the Cumming-Crofton route on Mitre Ridge in the Cairngorms) still bears his name. The essence of the method was the use of multiple drugs taken simultaneously to reduce the chance for drug-resistant strains of the tubercle bacilli to develop, this combined with careful monitoring of patients to ensure that they adhered to the prescribed medication regime. His team were able to demonstrate that mortality, and the spread of the disease in the community, could be reduced almost to zero if medication was properly prescribed and properly taken. The incidence of tuberculosis in Edinburgh declined rapidly, and Crofton spent much of the rest of his career travelling around the UK and the wider world attempting to get this message across.

From 1963 to 1966 Crofton was dean of medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. From 1966 to 1969 he worked with Andrew Douglas on their postgraduate textbook, Respiratory Diseases. From 1969 to 1971, the period of student unrest all around the world, he was vice-principal of the university: during this time Gordon Brown (future prime minister) was elected by the students as rector. This had traditionally been a ceremonial post, but Brown decided to exercise his right as rector to chair the University Court. According to Crofton, Brown did the job very efficiently. From 1973 to 1976 Crofton was president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

International organizations Crofton was chair of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) from 1984 to 1988. He helped write the World Health Organization's guidelines for the treatment of tuberculosis before his death. The Crofton Award, named in honour of the physician and his wife, physician Eileen Crofton, is given by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) and ASH Scotland, recognising the "contributions young people in Scotland make towards reducing the harm caused by tobacco".

Saving Lives and Preventing Misery: The memoirs of Sir John Wenman Crofton, was published in 2013 by Crofton's daughter and son-in-law.