had begun working in a Ceylon hospital as a nurse. Legacy Although Patrick Manson may have been generous in his praise of Davidson, as the brightness of the former’s career grew following the far-reaching consequences of his discoveries in parasitology, the latter’s achievements would be overshadowed. It was Manson who would end up being widely hailed as the “father of tropical medicine”. Nevertheless, at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Scottish branch of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 1980, Davidson was named as one of 33 Scots born between 1721 and 1869 who had made significant contributions to tropical medicine. Particular mention was made of his role in establishing the school of tropical medicine at Edinburgh University. In Madagascar, the school of medicine that Davidson founded in about 1870 was still operating at least as late as the 1890s. Davidson’s contributions to public health and tropical medicine were also remembered decades after he had departed Mauritius. In a report in 1921, he was described as a “distinguished medical officer” who had conducted valuable research into sanitation and disease outbreaks on the island. References 19th-century Scottish medical doctors British tropical physicians Christian medical missionaries Scottish missionaries Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish medical writers 1836 births 1918 deaths