Sidney Arnold (Sam) was the son of Sidney Valentine Sewell and Alice Maud Cunning who was a sister of Joseph Cunning, a senior surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital, London. He was born at 12 Collins Street, Melbourne, where for more than forty years he practised as a consultant physician, initially with his father Sir Sidney Sewell (qv 1), a consultant physician with a special interest in neurology. Sam's brother Willoughby Sidney (Bill) was a general practitioner in Mornington for many years and Sam's cousin James Erskine Sewell (qv 1) was a consultant physician in Melbourne. In 1937 Sam was a resident medical officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he met and married in 1941 Nurse Valerie Rena Kyle whose brother, the late Oswald Kyle OBE, had been in general practice for many years, most recently at Geeveston, Tasmania.

In 1938 Sam was a demonstrator in pathology at the University of Melbourne. In 1939, whilst a resident medical officer at the Repatriation General Hospital, Caulfield, he joined the Royal Austalian Navy Reserve and was called up just before the outbreak of World War II. He served in the Mediterranean on HMAS Hobart for about fifteen months. As lieutenant commander he was then senior medical officer at the Royal Australian Navy Hospital, Darwin, during a period which included the Japanese bombing. He later became senior medical officer on HMAS Kanibla during the Philipine landings. After the war he did two tours of South Vietnam, each lasting three months; once with a team from Prince Henry's Hospital, Melbourne, and the other as surgeon captain and officer commanding the medical division of the 1st Australian Field Hospital.

Of his civil appointments after the war his first was as clinical assistant to medical outpatients, Royal Melbourne Hospital, from 1945to 1946 followed by acting physician to outpatients at the Alfred Hospital from 1948 to 1949. He then began his long association with Prince Henry's Hospital, firstly as physician to outpatients from 1950 to 1960 then as physician to inpatients from 1960 until his retirement in 1972. He then became a life governor of the hospital.

Although I knew Sam at Geelong Grammar School and Trinity College it was not until I shared rooms with him for twenty years at 12 Collins Street (a four storey building named "Victor Horsley Chambers" after Sir Victor Horsley, under whom Sir Sidney Sewell had studied at University College Hospital, London) that I fully appreciated his quality and dedication as a physician and his loyalty as a friend. Sam was a general physician in the truest sense. He possessed a fine clinical judgement in many facets of medicine and a deep compassion for his patients, especially those beset by overlying anxiety or depression. Such was his care and consideration that he spent many hours a week reassuring them by telephone, and in case of personal need no distance was too far for a home visit.

Of small and relatively slight build, Sam was no ordinary sportsman. He loved riding at polo or with the Melbourne Hunt. He fished for trout or big game off New Zealand. From there he gained one of his proudest possessions: a certificate from the Bay of Islands Swordfish and Mako Shark Club, Russell NZ, that on 12 May 1944 he caught a 260 pound striped marlin with rod and line on the launch Rosemary. He played royal tennis and made a notable contribution to the development and popularity of the game in Melbourne. He was a foundation member of the RAN Ski Club and was medical officer to the Pentathlon at the Melbourne Olympic Games.

In 1973 he bought a farm at Gisborne about twenty miles north of Melbourne and there he enjoyed his midweek and weekend breaks from a busy practice, on the tractor and "keeping the kangaroos at bay". With his knowledge and sensitive appreciation of wine he had an excellent cellar and it was always a delight to dine with him and his family. Although not a man who gave undue importance to dress he enjoyed wearing spats which were in keeping with his personality and style. During a long and dignified struggle with cancer he demonstrated the courage which had always been so much part of him. His wife Valerie having predeceased him he is survived by his devoted family of Simon, Jasmine and David.