Psychiatric Bulletin (2006) 30: 236. doi: 10.1192/pb.30.6.236-a
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Psychiatric Bulletin (2006) 30: 236
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Basil Aschkenasy
Formerly Pharmacist, Maudsley Hospital
Peter Noble,
George Stein,
Rob Howard,
Nikky Payne and
Martin Guha
Basil Aschkenasy died of a heart attack following kidney failure on 19
December 2005.
Basil was born in Romania. His family fled west in the late 1940s, settling
first in Rome, where Basil studied at the university for a year. The rest of
his family then emigrated to South America but he came to England to study at
the then Chelsea College School of Pharmacy (now incorporated into
Kings College London). After a period of research work at Beechams he
went to Dorking Hospital as pharmacist and then to the Maudsley where he ran
the pharmacy for a quarter of a century, up to his (slightly early)
retirement. Basil was not only a technical expert but was also a very social
pharmacist. He initiated the practice of pharmacists attending ward rounds and
is remembered by all who knew him as a source of accurate pharmaceutical
information in absolutely any situation.
Even after his retirement Basil was a fixture in the Maudsley and Institute
of Psychiatry canteens where, it was fondly said, he was trying
single-handedly to recreate the café society of pre-war Bucharest, in
the face of an increasingly stressful grab a sandwich and run
culture.
Basil married in 1958 and although formally divorced 20 years ago, remained
close to his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren, who survive him.