Halliday Sutherland

Halliday Gibson Sutherland (24 June 1882 – 9 April 1960) was a Scottish medical doctor, writer, public-health pioneer, and outspoken critic of eugenics and neo-Malthusian population theory. Trained at the University of Edinburgh, he became known for his early work in tuberculosis prevention and treatment, including producing The Story of John M’Neil (1911), which is considered to be Britain’s first public-health education film. Sutherland’s medical career included running tuberculosis dispensaries, developing open-air treatment programmes for children, and publishing widely on public health.

A prolific author, Sutherland wrote both medical and autobiographical works, and he became a prominent figure in public debates over birth control and eugenics in the early 20th century. His opposition to the eugenics movement culminated in the notable libel action Stopes v Sutherland (1923), in which Marie Stopes sued him over his criticism of her birth-control clinic. Sutherland prevailed in the House of Lords, and the case remains an important episode in the history of medical ethics and reproductive politics.

Later in life, Sutherland travelled widely and continued writing, producing accounts of social conditions in Britain and Ireland, including early commentaries on mother-and-baby homes and institutional care. His work reflects a lifelong commitment to public health, social justice, and the belief that poverty arose from social and economic conditions rather than hereditary defects. Provided by Wikipedia