1998 INDUCTEE Ray Farquharson, MD Hormones, Leadership in Organizational Development

Ray Farquharson posthumously inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

Hull, Québec

Ray Farquharson served as the founding president of the Medical Research council for five years

The council was tasked to inform government about the needs of medical researchers and eventually grew to be the principal funding agency for medical research in Canada. During his tenure, Farquharson increased the Council’s budget for awards and grants from $4 million to $9 million by 1965.

Dr. Ray Farquharson produced the "Farquharson Report" which described the current state of medical research in Canada

In the report, he proposed the formation of an independent council that was solely dedicated to fostering medical research. These recommendations culminated in the creation of the Medical Research Council of Canada in 1960.

Dr. Farquharson became a member in National Research Council of Canada

The appointment highlighted his natural leadership abilities and thrust him into a position that helped him positively influence Canadian policy and improve medical research.

During the Second World War, Dr. Farquharson was Chair of the Penicillin Committee of Canada, which regulated the distribution of penicillin to the Allies.

He supervised clinical experiments involving penicillin in Ontario hospitals and was appointed Director of Medicine at Christie Street Veterans’ Hospital in Toronto at the end of the war.

After comparing the similarities between Simmond’s disease and anorexia nervosa, Drs. Farquharson and Hyland classified anorexia nervosa as a mental disorder and not a disorder of the endocrine gland

Dr. Farquharson went on to be the first Canadian physician to draw attention to Sheehan’s syndrome, a syndrome which presents decreased pituitary gland function.

Along with Dr. Duncan Graham, Dr. Ray Farquharson published a report on Simmonds’ disease with three case studies

Simmonds disease, atrophy of the anterior pituitary gland. The paper was the first report on the syndrome in North America.

After spending some time at Harvard to conduct research, Farquharson came back to the University of Toronto as an assistant professor of medicine.

He was a brilliant doctor and an excellent teacher, quickly rising in ranks to become a professor of therapeutics in 1934, and chair of medicine in 1947.

Farquharson was recalled from the army to resume his medical studies

He graduated from medicine at the University of Toronto in 1922.

Farquharson entered medical school at the University of Toronto in 1917

He interrupted his studies to join Canada’s war effort during the First World War. Farquharson served in the Canadian Field Artillery and, later, as a medical consultant for the Royal Canadian Air force.