Edgar Ralph (“Mike”) Wide
BMJ 2006; 332 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.332.7545.857-g (Published 06 April 2006) Cite this as: BMJ 2006;332:857Data supplement
Edgar Ralph Wide
Former missionary doctor Baringa, Congo (Zaire) (b February 1904; q Bristol 1927), d October 2004.
Edgar Ralph Wide was born in 1904 in Hemyock, Devon, the fifth child of Alfred and Florence Wide, well known in West Country business circles and members of the Baptist Church. Edgar ("Mike") Wide was educated at the local primary school before moving to Taunton School, where he excelled at chess and rugby and obtained his first MB.
Mike decided to study medicine and entered Bristol University in 1922. He was awarded the Silver Medal two years running. He qualified in 1927 and moved to Brussels for a course in Tropical Medicine.
Mike’s father had met a missionary from RBMU (Regions Beyond Missionary Union) as he returned by train from the Keswick Convention, and so began a lifelong family interest in RBMU and the Congo in particular. Mike heard a clear call from God to medical work in the Belgian Congo and set sail for his first term in 1928, finally arriving at Baringa, in the tropical rain forest on the River Congo, where RBMU had established mission work some years before.
In due course, Mike designed and built a hospital complex, which would be the only one for some hundreds of miles around.
During his first furlough, Mike met Isabel Stewart while doing deputation work in Scotland. They married and returned to the Congo, where he built a bungalow and made furniture. Isabel had read law, but Mike proceeded to train her as his theatre nurse, and she excelled in that capacity. Leprosy was rife in the Congo and a leprosarium was built, housing 1100 beds, and Mike pioneered the early use of drugs as they came available, with notable success. Mike also installed an electricity generation plant with distribution to hospital and staff homes. Asked, "How did you know what to do?" he replied, "I took my physics books with me!" Mike became an accomplished surgeon, working in the early days from text books, never having the luxury of x ray. He was quick to point out that the whole medical staff prayed together before each operation, that God gave him skill and discernment, so that they rarely lost a patient.
Mike trained local nursing staff, as well as a number of missionary doctors when they joined him. He became proficient in the Lumumbo dialect and took his turn at preaching and Bible teaching. His local name was Likibi—"Solid Foundation." He also used his French to good effect in dealing with government affairs. He was often visited by Belgian officials at Baringa, and was awarded the Leopold Medal for services to the Belgian Congo. Mike returned from the field just as independence was granted to the Congo and Zaire was born. He returned for a further year after the rebel uprising, concluding his overseas work in 1964. Mike and Isabel set up home at Thorne Park, Hemyock, developing the garden into a haven of peace and beauty, frequently hosting missionary garden parties. During his retirement years, Mike made a great contribution as a deacon of Hemyock Baptist Church, where he was in membership for 85 years.
Isabel died in Robins Close Nursing Home in 1995, and Mike spent the last nine years of his life also in Robins Close, where he endeared himself to staff and residents alike. For their part, the matron and staff did a wonderful job of caring for all his needs right to the end. He regarded Robins Close as his home, and all staff as his special friends. [Gordon Cooper]
See more
- Introductory AddressProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 1-4; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.1
- Report of the Meeting of the Eastern Branch of the Provincial Association at Bury St. Edmond'sProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 10-13; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.10
- Mr. Warburton's Bill for the Regulation of the Medical ProfessionProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 13-15; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.13
- An Atlas of Plates, illustrative of the Principles and Practice of Obstetric Medicine and Surgery, with descriptive LetterpressProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 4; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.4
- A Practical Treatise on the Diseases peculiar to Women, illustrated by Cases, &cProv Med Surg J October 03, 1840, s1-1 (1) 4-5; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.s1-1.1.4-a