sb. Forms: α. 4 sorgien, surgeyn, 4–5 surgyen, -yne, 4–6 surgien, surgen, 5 -ene, 5–6 -yn, 5–7 -ian, -ean, 6 -in, (7 shirgian). β. 5 surgeoun, surion, -oune, serion, sorg(e)on, 5–6 surgyon, 5–7 -ion, 6 -ione, sowrgeon, 7 surgon, 5– surgeon. γ. 5 surgeand, 6 -ea(u)nt, -iant, -ynte. δ. 5 suregene, 6 Sc. sur(r)igian(e, -ine, -eane, surrugin, -yȝen. [a. AF. surgien (13th c.), also sirogen, sur(r)igien, contracted form of OF. serurgien, cirurgien, mod.F. chirurgien: see CHIRURGEON. Cf. OPg. surgião (beside mod.Pg. cirurgião). MDu. surgien, -ijn, surisien were also from OF.]
1. One who practises the art of healing by manual operation; a practitioner who treats wounds, fractures, deformities or disorders by surgical means. In early use often more widely, a medical man, doctor. Now spec. one who holds a licence or diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons or any other body, legally qualifying him to practise in surgery; hence (now rare) = general practitioner.
For the relation between surgeon and physician see note and quots. under PHYSICIAN sb. 2 b. See also barber surgeon s.v. BARBER sb., house surgeon s.v. HOUSE sb.1 23. Surgeons’ Hall: see HALL sb. 6.
α. 13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 1659. Þilke monk sorgien [Caius MS. a phisician] was, Þe vertu he knewe of mani a gras; Þe wounde he biheld stedefastliche.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 229. His surgien him tolde, if he suld him saue, & his lif holde, reste behoued him haue.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 964. Alle the surgens of salerne.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 45. A Surgien by licence and assent of swiche as weren wise.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 1535. Swych be no goode surgyens, Lechys, nor physycyens.
1551. T. Wilson, Logic (1580), 42 b. The Surgean can not heale a wound, except the dead fleshe bee cut out.
1567. Harman, Caveat, xii. The Surgien made hym gape, and we could see but halfe a toung.
c. 1618. Moryson, Itin., IV. V. i. (1903), 424. The vniversities … haue yealded famous Phisitians, who in Italy are also Shirgians.
β. c. 1400. Melayne, 1343. If any Surgeoun myghte helpe thee.
14[?]. Chaucer’s Melib., ¶ 39 (Camb. MS.). Surgeons Phisiciens olde folk And ȝynge.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 485/1. Surion, or surgen.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VIII. ix. 285. She was a noble surgeon.
1471. Paston Lett., III. 3. I have sent hym a serjon, whyche hathe dressid hym.
1511–2. Act 3 Hen. VIII., c. 11 Schedule (1817), III. 31, note. Memorandum that Sowrgeons be comprised in this Acte like as Phisicions.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, F j b. No lecture at Surgeons Hall vppon an Anatomie may compare with them in longitude.
c. 1610. Women Saints, 120. A Surgeons iron.
1653. in Verney Mem. (1907), I. 576. I must … have the opinnion of a surgon and a doctor both.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, IV. iv. I was bred a Surgeon, whose trade it is to cure wounds and hurts in the body.
1843. Bethune, Scott. Peasant’s Fire-side, 27. To the young surgeon these invitations were highly gratifying.
1858. Act 21 & 22 Vict., c. 90 § 40. Any person who shall … falsely … use the … Title of a Physician, Doctor of Medicine,… Surgeon [etc.] … shall … pay a Sum not exceeding Twenty Pounds.
1877. Encycl. Brit., VII. 665/1. The museum and lecture rooms of the Royal College of Surgeons.
1880–5. Sir J. Paget, Mem. & Lett., ii. (1901), 19. It was decided that I should be a ‘Surgeon’—meaning a general practitioner.
γ. 1537. in Vicary’s Anat. (1888), App. ii. 112. [Thomas Vicary] surgiant [to the King].
c. 1550. Knight Curtesy, 274, in Hazl., E. P. P., II. 78. A surgeand by his arte Heled his woundes.
1583. Melbancke, Philotimus, E j b. He … may … wishe for a surgeaunt to sette his necke bone.
1592. Extracts Munic. Acc. Newcastle (1848), 24. Paid to John Colson, surgynte, for his accustomed fee for helping to cure the mamed poore folke, 40s.
δ. c. 1460. Promp. Parv. (Winch.), 449. Surion, or suregene.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 2724. He … al the surryȝenis socht, Wich for to cum was reddy at his neid.
1524. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., V. 238. Robert Kynnard, Surrigeane to the King.
1553. Douglas, Æneis, XII. vii. heading, No mannis cure, nor craft of surrigine Mycht heill Eneas, bot Venus medycyne.
b. A medical officer in the army or the navy (on board ship = ‘ship’s doctor’).
† Surgeon’s mate: an assistant to a ship’s doctor. Surgeon-assistant = assistant surgeon (see ASSISTANT a. 3). Surgeon-general: see GENERAL a. 10; hence surgeon-generalship. Surgeon-major: see MAJOR a. 7.
1591. Garrard’s Art Warre, 51. Other meane offices, as Drums, Fifes, Surgeans, and the Clarke of the Band.
1599. Dallam, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.), 13. Mr. Chancie … was our fysition and surgin for the seae.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Pref., Wks. (1653), 8. The … trust for … appointing fit … Surgeons, and Surgeons Mates for their ships and services. Ibid., 19. A Surgeons Chest, or … Surgery provisions for Military uses.
1758. J. S., trans. Le Dran’s Observ. Surg. (1771), 67. Mr. Terrier,… Surgeon-Major to his Majesty’s Regiment.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., Surgeon,… a staff officer, who is chief of the medical department in each regiment or hospital, &c. Ibid., Surgeon-General, the first or senior surgeon of the army. Ibid. (1805), (ed. 2), s.v., Navy Surgeon, one who is obliged to act in the three capacities of physician, surgeon, and apothecary, on board a ship of war.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xxxix. Will you send an assistant-surgeon on board to look after two of my men who are hurt?
1837. Dickens, Pickw., ii. Doctor Slammer, surgeon to the 97th.
1837. Lockhart, Scott, I. x. 324. It was discovered that the patronage of the season had been exhausted, with the exception of one surgeon-assistant’s commission.
1867. Brande & Cox, Dict. Sci., etc., III. 666. In the Army, the officers of the medical department are classed as follows: Director general, who ranks as a major general,… surgeon, as major; assistant-surgeon, as lieutenant. Ibid. In the Royal Navy there are the following grades: inspector-general of hospitals and fleets, deputy-inspector, staff-surgeon, surgeon, assistant-surgeon.
1876. Voyle & Stevenson, Milit. Dict. (ed. 3), Surgeon-Major, a medical officer who is attached to and in medical charge of a regiment.
1886. New York Tribune, 16 Aug. (Cent. Dict.). Surgeon-generalship.
1887. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 12 March, 604/1. Whether an Admiralty surgeon and agent can wear uniform, or not.
1894. Outing (U.S.), XXIV. 234/1. In addition to the brigade-surgeon … there are also one surgeon with rank of major and one assistant surgeon with rank of captain for each of the five regiments.
c. fig.
1535. Coverdale, Exod. xv. 26. Then wyl I laye vpon ye none of the sicknesses, that I layed vpon Egipte, for I am the Lorde thy surgione.
1557. Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 255. So should not loue so work my wo, To make death surgeant for my sore.
1567. Allen, Def. Priesthood, 220. He … also maketh priestes to be as well the iudges as surgeons of our soules.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., Critic (Arb.), 56. A Criticke … is the Surgeon of old Authors, and heales the wounds of dust and ignorance.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), II. 84. The ‘solutio continui,’ which bodily surgeons talk of, is never apply’d in this case, by surgeons of another sort.
2. = surgeon-bird, -fish: see 3 b.
1855. Orr’s Circ. Sci., Org. Nat., III. 182. In the common Jacana … the claw of the hind toe is excessively elongated and acute, from which circumstance the name of the surgeon has been applied to it.
1880. Günther, Study Fishes, 439. ‘Surgeons’ occur in all tropical seas.
3. attrib.: appositive, as surgeon-apothecary, -aurist, -dentist, -masseur, -oculist, -radiographer; surgeon-colonel, -lieutenant.
1776. Pennsylv. Even Post, 16 March, 138/1. Dr. L. Butte and Co. Surgeon-Dentists.
1848. Dunglison, Med. Lex. (ed. 7), Surgeon-apothecary, one who unites the practice of surgery with that of the apothecary. A general practitioner.
1854. Mayne, Expos. Lex., 369/2. They [sc. general practitioners] are also called Surgeon-Apothecaries, because … they are Members of a College of Surgeons, besides being Licentiates of the Apothecaries Company.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., xlv. Lydgate did not dispense drugs. This was offensive both to the physicians whose exclusive distinction seemed infringed on, and to the surgeon-apothecaries with whom he ranged himself.
1881. Instr. Census Clerks (1885), 27. Surgeon-Aurist. Ibid. Surgeon-Oculist.
1885. Crt. Jrnl., 27 March. A surgeon-masseur of considerable repute.
1898. Lond. Gaz., 26 Aug., 5142/1. Whereas We have deemed it expedient to alter the Ranks of the Officers of Our Indian Medical Service: Our Will … is that the following alterations shall be made:—Present Ranks. Surgeon-Colonel…. Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel. New Ranks. Colonel. Lieutenant-Colonel.
1901. Nature, 5 Sept., 454/1. Surgeon-radiographer to the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, South Africa.
b. Comb., as surgeon-like adv.; surgeon-bird, the jacana; surgeon-fish, a fish of the genus Acanthurus (cf. DOCTOR sb. 8).
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., I. i. 5. Surgean-like thou dost with cutting heale.
1870. Gillmore, trans. Figuier’s Reptiles & Birds, 302. Called Surgeon Birds, from the resemblance the claw on their back toe bears to a lancet.
Hence Surgeon v. trans., to cure as by surgical art; Surgeoncy, surgeonship; Surgeoness, a female surgeon; Surgeoning, surgery; Surgeonless a., without a surgeon; Surgeonship, the office or position of a surgeon.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, I. 13. I chaunt some dolorous ditty, making song, Sleep’s substitute, *surgeon my nightly care.
1869. Ld. Lytton, Orval, 249. Who will surgeon me This gash?
1804. W. Taylor, in Robberds, Mem. (1843), I. 477. Having accepted a *surgeoncy and an ensigncy in the militia.
1893. Times, 3 Oct., 6/3. A discussion at St. George’s Hospital about a contested election to a vacant surgeoncy.
1815. Mrs. Pilkington, Celebrity, II. 213. He pronounced the marchioness a very skilful surgeon or *surgeoness.
1869. Ld. Lytton, Orval, 79. Silly lancet, all Thy simple *surgeoning cures nothing.
1889. Alex. Innes Shand, in Blackw. Mag., CXLV. 555/1. Sailors who ship for long voyages in *surgeonless ships, do so with their eyes open.
1885. American, X. 291. Mr. Black, who has given 1400 *surgeonships to the Democrats in the Pension Bureau, leaving but 600 to the Republicans.
1887. Pall Mall G., 17 Sept., 8/1. The deceased recently applied for the surgeonship of some local clubs, and his non-success made him depressed.
