McGill Libraries
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Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Oliver, W. S. (William Silver), 1836-1908
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1836-1908
History
Dr. William Silver Oliver was born on November 12, 1835, in Kilfinane, Limerick, Ireland.
He was a military surgeon. He studied in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and entered the Army as an Assistant Surgeon in 1857, serving mainly in India and Canada (Quebec and Nova Scotia). In 1873, he was promoted to Surgeon-Major and, in 1882, Brigade Surgeon. After serving with the 60th Rifles and witnessing the needs of infantry soldiers, he designed and patented the accoutrements worn by the Canadian military during the Boer War to redistribute the load to avoid back strain. He is remembered for describing Oliver's sign. He retired an Honorary Deputy Surgeon-General stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1883. In 1905, he moved to England, where he died after a long illness.
In 1872, he married Elizabeth Alice Galt (1849–1938). He died on April 27, 1908, in Farnborough, Hampshire, England.