Stevenson, educated privately and at Nesbit's school of chemistry and agriculture, studied scientific farming for a year with his father and then in 1857 became a medical pupil under Mr. Steel of Bradford. In 1859 he entered the medical school of Guy's Hospital, graduating M.B. in 1863 and M.D. at London in 1864. In the earlier examinations he gained the scholarship and gold medal in organic chemistry (1861), in forensic medicine, and in obstetric medicine (1863). In 1864 he became M.R.C.P. and in 1871 F.R.C.P. London. In 1863 he started private practice in Bradford, but after a year returned to Guy's Hospital, where he became successively demonstrator of practical chemistry (1864–70), lecturer on chemistry (1870–98), and lecturer on forensic medicine (1878–1908), succeeding in both lectureships Alfred Swaine Taylor [q. v.]. He was analyst to the home office from 1872 to 1881, when he was appointed senior scientific analyst. That office he held till death. He was also analyst to the counties of Surrey and Bedfordshire and the boroughs of St. Pancras and Shoreditch, and medical officer of health to St. Pancras. He served as president of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, of the Society of Public Analysts, and of the Institute of Chemistry. Pre-eminent as a scientific toxicologist, Stevenson was best known to the public as an expert witness in poisoning cases, especially in the well-known cases of Dr. G. H. Lamson (aconitine) in 1882; Mrs. Maybrick (arsenic) in 1889; Dr. Thomas Neill or Cream (strychnine) in 1892; George Chapman (antimony) in 1903; Miss Hickman (morphine) in 1903; Arthur Devereux (morphine) in 1905. He was an admirable witness, his evidence being so accurately and carefully prepared that cross-examination strengthened rather than weakened its effect. He was knighted in 1904.
Stevenson died on 27 July 1908, and was buried at Norwood cemetery. He married in 1867 Agnes, daughter of George Maberly, a solicitor of London, and had issue two sons and five daughters. His portrait was painted and is in possession of his family. A cartoon portrait appeared in 'Vanity Fair' in 1899.
Stevenson edited and greatly enlarged the 3rd edition of A. Swaine Taylor's 'Principles and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence' (1883), and together with Sir Shirley Murphy edited a treatise on 'Hygiene and Public Health' (1894). He made eighteen contributions to the 'Guy's Hospital Reports.'
[Brit. Med. Journ. 1908, ii. 361; information from son, C. M. Stevenson, M.D., G. A. Macmillan, and F. Taylor, M.D., F.R.C.P.]
STEWART, CHARLES (1840–1907), comparative anatomist, born in Princess Square, Plymouth, on 18 May 1840, was son of Thomas Anthony Stewart of Princess Square, Plymouth, M.D. of Leyden and surgeon to the Plymouth public dispensary, by his wife Harriet Howard. Charles was educated at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and was admitted M.R.C.S. England in 1862. After practising for four years at Plymouth, he was appointed in 1866 curator of the museum at St. Thomas's Hospital, then situated in the Surrey Gardens. In 1871, shortly after the removal of the hospital to the Albert Embankment, he was appointed lecturer on comparative anatomy in the medical school, and in 1881 he became lecturer on physiology jointly with Dr. John Harley. He was also professor of biology and physiology at the Bedford College for Women from 1882–4. He left St. Thomas's Hospital in 1884 on his appointment as conservator of the Hunterian museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in succession to Sir William Henry Flower [q. v. Suppl. I]. In 1886 he became Hunterian professor of comparative anatomy and physiology at the college, and gave an annual course of lectures until 1902. Stewart fully maintained at the college the Hunterian tradition. Abreast of the current knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and bacteriology, which together make up modern pathology, he was able to utilise to the best advantage the stores of specimens collected by John Hunter. His dissections enabled him to correlate many facts for the first time, and his results were set forth in his lectures. In 1885 he lectured on the structure and life history of the hydrozoa; in 1886 and 1887 on the organs of hearing; in 1889 and again in 1896 on the integumental system; in 1890 on phosphorescent organs and colour; in 1891 on secondary sexual characters; in 1895 on the endoskeleton; in 1897 on joints, and on the protection and nourishment of the young; in 1899 on the alternation of generations. He spoke without notes and drew admirably on the blackboard, illustrating his remarks from the stores of the museum. But unhappily the lectures were neither published nor reported, and only remain in the memories
