James McDonnell

James McDonnell was born near Cushendall in Northern Ireland in 1763. In 1780, McDonnell studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. His dissertation, 'Dissertatio de submersis', published in 1784, dealt with ways of resuscitation. After graduation, he returned to Belfast and lived in 13 Donegall Place for the rest of his life. He co-founded in 1797 the Belfast Dispensary and Fever Hospital, and was the forerunner of the Royal Victoria Hospital and where he remained as an attending physician until 1837. Among his achievements were the rescue of the Belfast Medical Society (now Ulster Medical Society), the founding of the Belfast Reading Society (now the Linen Hall Library) and the Belfast Literary Society. He died in 1845.