Ian Urquhart Fraser was born in Bangkok. Little is known of his family, although his father resided in Oban late in life. Ian undertook military service as a non-commissioned officer with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, before studying medicine. After qualifying he worked at the American Hospital in Paris in 1956-7, and then pursued surgical training, with posts at Basildon and the Royal Free hospitals.

While operating at the Royal Free, he had a myocardial infarction owing to undiagnosed essential hypertension, and he gave up his surgical ambitions and became lecturer in anatomy at Barts in 1968. It was there …