Thomas Willis

Thomas Willis 1621-75, English physician and anatomist. He became professor at Oxford in 1660 and in 1666 established a practice in London. An authority on the brain and the nervous system, he discovered the 11th cranial nerve and a circle of arteries at the base of the brain (the circle of Willis). He was the first to note the presence of sugar in the urine of diabetics. His works, written in Latin, include Of the Anatomy of the Brain, illustrated by Sir Christopher Wren, published in 1664, and translated in The Remaining Medical Works … of Doctor Thomas Willis (1681).

Hess, Willy (b Mannheim, 1859; d Berlin, 1939). Ger. violinist. Lived in USA 1865–72, making début with Theodore Thomas Orch. Leader, opera orch., Frankfurt, 1878–86. Prof. of vn., Rotterdam Cons. 1886–8. Leader, Hallé Orch. 1888–95; prof. of vn. RMCM 1893–5, Cologne Cons. 1895–1903 (also leader of Cologne Gürzenich Concerts and Qt.), RAM 1903–4. Leader, Boston SO 1904–10. Prof. of vn. Berlin Hochschule 1910–28 and leader of Haliř Qt., Darmstadt 1931–3.

Mitchell, Thomas (1895–1962), character actor. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, he made his debut in Ben Greet's company in 1913 and then played Shakespeare roles under the aegis of Charles Coburn. His best early performances were dreamer Charles Bemis in The Wisdom Tooth (1926) and Norman Overback in Little Accident (1928), which he co‐authored. After a long career in films, Mitchell enjoyed success in the title role of An Inspector Calls (1947), as Willy Loman in the road company of Death of a Salesman, and in the musical Hazel Flagg (1953).