Robin Cornell, An uncommon thread - The story of the “catgut men”

Unpublished draft with illustrations looking at the lives and discoveries of six pioneeers in the development of the surgical sutures industry. These men were termed 'catgut' men as they worked with sutures for surgical use made from surplus animal tissues, generically known as catgut. These sutures dissolved in the human body when healing was complete. Together with other medical advances, they expanded the scope of surgery dramatically, creating a platform for yet further progress when synthetic replacements arrived in the 1980’s.

2015

1 digital item

This material was given to the library at Wellcome Collection by Robin Cornell in June 2015.

Robert (Robin) Cornell, was born in the UK and graduated with a BA in Politics & Economics at Durham University in 1963. In 1964 he gained an MA from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Boston, Mass. USA where he was an English Speaking Union Fellow.

In writing "An uncommon thread-the story of the catgut men" he has drawn on a lifetime of business experience, much of which has been spent in companies such as Imperial Chemical industries 1966-1979, Amoco Oil 1979-1984, Taylor Nelson 1984-1988, National Provincial Building Society 1988-1992, and lastly Visa Europe 1992-2006. Roles in management have covered procurement, marketing and sales, research, public relations and often business development. The latter especially have provided insights into the challenges faced by the "catgut men" as they grew their businesses, and assisted greatly in producing the narrative.

Robin's grandfather, Henry Percival Morley (1880-1956) was one of the catgut men whose lives and achievements are explored in the text. In fact a curiosity to understand why the business he founded with the help of the London Hospital was liquidated so quickly in 1970 was one of the driving forces in undertaking the research into catgut sutures and their manufacture.

Subsequent to retiring from Visa, Robin has undertaken several consultancy projects with two national charities, Guide Dogs for the Blind and Victim Support. For several years he was also deputy Chairman of Epsom & Ewell Citizens Advice Bureau. He has also been heavily involved in management of the complex affairs of an aunt as her attorney and also her executor in 2011-2012.

Robin is married and lives in Epsom Surrey UK.

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