1927–26 March 2018

Alexander Leslie Florence was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He was the first in his family to attend university, graduating from the University of Aberdeen in 1950. He served as a general practitioner in Turriff, Scotland until 1966, after which he and his family moved to Tawa, New Zealand, where he practised until he retired in 1998.

He was known and respected by patients as “Dr Florence—such a good GP,” and his thoroughness and acumen were evident in a letter published in The BMJ on 31 December 1960. On the basis of his observations of the side effects of Distaval/thalidomide on his patients, he questioned the use of this drug by pregnant women. Nevertheless, the pharmaceutical company responsible for the latter’s manufacture continued to produce this toxic “treatment.” Persistent in his belief and supported by growing evidence of the drug’s iatrogenic properties, Florence continued to contest its production and prescription. According to Michael Magazanik, an Australian journalist and lawyer, who wrote Silent Shock: The Men behind the Thalidomide Scandal and an Australian Family’s Long Road to Justice, “Dr Leslie Florence became the first doctor to publish on the connection between thalidomide and nerve damage” (p 117). His putting pen to paper resulted in the US Food and Drug Administration’s rejection of the pharmaceutical company’s application to market thalidomide in the US.

“Grip fast,” the motto of Florence’s clan, Leslie, is a fitting description of his nature. Ever determined and curious, he moved through life in his own distinctive way. He was one of the few GPs whose beloved dog accompanied him to work—no questions asked. Through his commitment to learning and his love of travel and outdoor pursuits (including golf, skiing, and boating), he generously provided opportunities for his children to live good lives.

Doing justice to the medical and personal contributions Florence offered throughout his life requires far more than an obituary word count allows. While his contribution to exposing the noxious effects of thalidomide are little known beyond those involved in the prioritising of profit over ethics, his words in 1960 made a difference in many lives then, and have reached far into the years beyond.

Alexander Leslie Florence died at Rotorua Hospital, New Zealand, in the early morning of Monday 26 March. He is remembered for his good heart and deeds by his three children, four grandchildren, and former wife.

Republished with kind permission from the British Medical Journal.

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