Marcus Seymour Pembrey

A provocative raciness and a facility with quip and proverb made him the ideal inciter of controversy and the records of these associations are a mine of his sayings, which Old Guy's Men will at once recognise as 'Pembreyisms'.

For example; " Fasting does not make one more spiritual but compels the victim to live upon his own flesh – to become a cannibal" ; " The petty pilfering of orchards by children should be regarded as a sign, not of original sin but of an imperative demand for vitamins" and " The toilet of the human breast is to be condemned as a fad – the infant desires the taste of its mothers milk and skin, not of scented soap, eau de cologne or tannic acid".

He carried out important work as adviser to the Army Medical Service where he recommended that "The short man, in nearly every respect, made a better soldier than his taller comrades".

Many of his hundreds of old students from Guy's Hospital went on to become eminent physicians, surgeons, clinical chemists, haematologists and gynaecologists of their day.

Apparently, in recognition for his superb influence and brilliant Physiological lecturing skills, he was offered the 'Freedom of the City of London' but modestly declined to accept the great honour due to his dislike of accolades.

Marcus and his artistic wife Cicely brought up ten children, most of whom went on to become either doctors, vets or nurses, as did a number of his grandchildren.