Percy Furnivall | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 5 April 1868 London |
| Died | 3 May 1938 (aged 70) Northam, Devon |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | University College School |
| Known for |
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| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician |
| Field | Surgeon |
| Sub-specialties | Colorectal surgery |
Percy Furnivall FRCS (5 April 1868 – 3 May 1938) was a British colorectal surgeon who was a champion cyclist in the 1880s and wrote an early book on athletic performance, Physical Training for High Speed Competitions, that was published in 1888.
He was Hunterian professor of pathology and surgery, assistant surgeon to the Metropolitan Hospital, surgeon to St Mark's Hospital for Diseases of the Rectum and assistant surgeon to the London Hospital. In 1903 he operated on John Long to repair a knife wound to the chest in what has been described as the first known case of heart surgery in Britain.
He retired early due to ill-health and died of throat cancer in 1938 having prompted a debate in the columns of the British Medical Journal about the merits of surgery compared to X-rays and radium in the treatment of cancer.