The first description of oculodermal melanosis, later known as the Nevus of Ota, originated from the surgical research of John Hulke in 1861. A practitioner whose career spanned the disciplines of medicine and earth science, he balanced rigorous clinical duties at London hospitals with significant paleontological investigations of the Lower Cretaceous period in the United Kingdom.
Early Education and Medical Training
Born in Deal in 1830, John Whitaker Hulke attended King's College School between 1847 and 1848, following earlier studies at the Moravian College in Neuwied from 1843 to 1845. This period in Germany provided him with fluency in the language and an initial exposure to geology through travels in the Eifel region. In 1849, he commenced work at King's College Hospital, eventually qualifying as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1852. His formative clinical experience included service during the Crimean War, where he acted as an assistant-surgeon at Smyrna and later during the Siege of Sevastopol.
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Upon returning to England, Hulke served as a medical tutor and was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1857. His surgical career was centered at the Royal Ophthalmic Hospital, Moorfields, where he served as assistant-surgeon and later as surgeon between 1857 and 1890. In 1870, he joined the staff of the Middlesex Hospital. His 1891 Bradshaw Lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons focused on spinal fractures and dislocations. He achieved professional leadership roles, including the presidency of the Pathological Society of London from 1883 to 1885 and the presidency of the Royal College of Surgeons from 1893 until his death in 1895.
Paleontological Research
Hulke maintained a parallel reputation as a researcher of vertebrate palaeontology, specifically focusing on the fossil reptiles of the Isle of Wight. In 1869, he identified a complete Iguanodon braincase, which he documented with the assistance of Thomas Huxley. His work on fossil remains included extensive studies of Iguanodon and Hypsilophodon, totaling 28 papers on dinosaur anatomy out of more than fifty scientific publications. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1867 for his investigations into the retina, and he served as President of the Geological Society of London between 1882 and 1884. The Geological Society awarded him the Wollaston Medal in 1887.
Fast facts
- Born: 1830, Deal
- Died: 1895, Old Burlington Street
- Education: King's College School, Neuwied, King's College London
- President of the Geological Society of London: 1882-1884
- President of the Royal College of Surgeons: 1893-1895
- Jacksonian Prize recipient: 1859
- Wollaston Medal recipient: 1887
Questions readers ask
What medical condition did John Hulke first describe?
He first described oculodermal melanosis, which is also identified as the Nevus of Ota, in 1861.
Where did he conduct his primary paleontological field work?
His research focused heavily on the Wealden cliffs of the Isle of Wight.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society
- Wollaston Medal — 1887
- Jacksonian Prize — 1859
- Held posts at King's College Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Middlesex Hospital
