Obstetrician and gynaecologist who worked with Fleming on the role of penicillin in treating venereal disease
During the second world war Jack Suchet was initially retained at St Mary's, where he was not only registrar in the department of obstetrics but also became assistant and then director of the department of venereology. He became adviser in venereology to the war office and because of this appointment he worked closely with Sir Alexander Fleming on the role of penicillin in the revolutionary treatment of venereal disease. Jack jointly published papers with Fleming on this subject.
Military service with the Royal Army Medical Corps then saw Jack in Egypt and Palestine. After his return he continued as registrar and then senior registrar in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology. An excellent teacher, he was much in demand by his colleagues' wives.
Jack Suchet had come to England from South Africa in 1932. He did his pre-clinical studies at the University of Cape Town and then, when he had saved sufficient funds, he moved to London to do his clinical studies. He entered St Mary's Hospital Medical School in 1933 and while there won prize exams in surgery, ophthalmology, and obstetrics and gynaecology. After qualifying, he was junior resident house officer in obstetrics followed by house surgeon to the professorial surgical unit. It was while in the obstetrics department that he decided to pursue a career in that specialty.
In 1953 his appointment as consultant in the east end of London meant unsung dedication in poorly staffed hospitals. He also set up a busy private Harley Street practice. All his patients, from whatever background, were treated with the same care and attention. Despite an arduous workload, he found time to give his services freely to St Luke's Nursing Home for the clergy and for a number of years was chairman of its medical committee.
He had a long and happy retirement with his enthusiasm for good wine, bridge, and repairing of old clocks, with which he was an expert. Predeceased by his wife, Joan, he leaves three sons: the newsreader John Suchet; the actor David Suchet, currently starring in the BBC dramatisation of Trollope's The Way We Live Now; and Peter, an advertising executive. All their careers, both in and out of the public eye, gave Jack enormous pride.
Figure.
Jack Suchet (left) with Sir Alexander Fleming (right) and a colleague
Footnotes
Jean Infield writes: Jack had studied business administration before switching to medicine. His father, a Latvian entrepreneur who changed his name from Suchedowitz, had wanted him to go into business. Jack found South Africa a rather oppressive place, which influenced his decision to come to England. When he arrived here, he found various ways to make ends meet, including selling ice creams at Paddington station and even selling his own blood. Jack also played bridge for money and carried out doping tests on greyhounds' saliva.
Later, as a consultant, he was a pioneer in the use of pethidine to control pain during childbirth. But he was not a godlike figure; instead he put people at their ease. This explains why his private practice was so popular.
Jack Suchet, former consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Poplar Hospital and St Andrews, Bow, 1953-74; b Johannesburg 1908; q St Mary's 1935; FRCOG, d 9 September 2001