Lauriston Elgie Shaw

Shaw progressed through the normal appointments at Guy's during his early career, breaking only for a sea trip to Australia for his health during which he served as the ship's surgeon. Early on, he held the appointment of assistant physician to the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest. In 1889, he was appointed assistant physician and demonstrator of morbid anatomy at Guy's. He was dean of the Guy's Hospital medical school from 1893 to 1901^[2] and succeeded by his great friend John Fawcett.^[3] He was made full physician in 1907 and consulting physician in 1919.^[2]

He played an active part in the framing the terms of the National Insurance Act 1911 which put him at odds with many of his colleagues who were strongly opposed to it.^[2] His position created such antipathy to him that he felt that many avenues in the medical world were closed to him.^[4]

In 1915 or 1916, he became manager of the Metropolitan Asylums Board and was chair of Pinewood Santorium sub-committee.^[2][4]

Shaw died from the effects of pulmonary tuberculosis, a disease he had suffered from for 40 years, at Weybridge, Surrey, on 25 December 1923.^[2][5] He received an obituary in the British Medical Journal and is recorded in Munk's Roll.^[2]