Donald Hood was born at Market Lavington, Wiltshire, the eldest son of Sir Charles Hood, F.R.C.P. He was educated at Harrow, Caius College, Cambridge, and Guy’s Hospital, where he qualified in 1869. After holding junior posts at the Evelina Hospital for Children, he went into general practice at Bletchingley. However, he returned to London as a consultant after some ten years. He received the appointments of assistant physician (1879), physician (1883) and consulting physician (1909) to the West London Hospital, and also served on the staff of the North-West London Hospital. He took part in the management of the Bethlem and Bridewell Royal Hospitals and the Earlswood Royal Institution. Cambridge University utilised his services as an examiner and the Foreign Office as examining physician. Hood contributed to medical literature on rheumatism and typhoid fever. In 1901, he was created C.V.O. in recognition of his work on behalf of charitable funds in the Boer War. Hood, whose recreations were fishing, shooting and gardening, married Alice, daughter of John Wickham Flower, by whom he had one son and three daughters.

G H Brown

[Lancet, 1924; B.M.J., 1924; Biog.Hist.of Caius College, ii, 380]