Teaching

Portrait of: Archibald Pitcairne

By: Rob Stranae
After: S. Medina
Style: Line engraving

Archibald Pitcairne (1652-1713) was a Scottish physician who was born in Edinburgh. He entered the University of Edinburgh in 1668. Pitcairne was the youngest founding member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, which obtained its charter in 1681. Pitcairne served as its second secretary in 1684.

The historian John Comrie has argued that Pitcairne, more than anybody else, could be regarded as the originator of the Edinburgh Medical School. Along with Sir Robert Sibbald and James Halkett, Pitcairne was made a Professor in 1685 when a first attempt was made to form a medical school at the University of Edinburgh. However, due to a lack of funding this initial attempt was not seen to be a success.

Alexander Monro

By: James Basire
After: Allan Ramsay
Style: Line engraving
Date: 1776

Alexander Monro ‘Primus’ (1697-1767), surgeon and anatomist, was born in London. Monro attended the University of Edinburgh between 1710 and 1713. He was admitted to the Incorporation of Surgeons in 1719.

Monro played a central role in the creation of Edinburgh as a centre for medical teaching. In 1720 Monro was appointed as Professor of Anatomy, unlike his predecessors his position was clearly defined as a university chair. Many historians view this appointment as the official beginning of the Edinburgh Medical School.

Monro was also responsible for the creation of the Edinburgh Infirmary teaching hospital in 1729. In 1736, George II granted it a Royal Charter and it became known as the Royal Infirmary. William Adam designed the new building, which opened for patients in 1741. In 1731, he helped to found the predecessor of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Society for the Improvement of Medical Knowledge.

Although Monro was a gifted medical professional and teacher, his success was greatly assisted by his father and the patronage of George Drummond. He also was known himself as a benefactor to many charitable causes.

Portrait of: William Cullen

By: Valentine Green
After: William Cochrane
Date: 1772
Style: Mezzotint

William Cullen (1710-1790) was a distinguished medical practitioner and lecturer born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire. He was educated at Glasgow University and spent time at the University of Edinburgh where he became a founding member of the Royal Medical Society in 1734. He taught at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities and gave clinical lectures at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Cullen was a popular and natural teacher devoted to demonstrating medicine and chemistry to his students. One famous Scottish practitioner included in Cullen’s list of students was William Hunter.

Edinburgh was a prestigious centre for medicine in this period. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, along with the University, and Royal Infirmary, made Edinburgh a highly desirable place for medical experts to practise, teach, and study. This meant that competition was incredibly fierce and the standard was extremely high. Cullen and his student Hunter had a plan to make Glasgow a competitor to Edinburgh’s excellent medical facilities, but this never came into fruition.
 

Portrait of: John Heaviside

By: Richard Earlom
After: J. Zoffany
Style: Mezzotint
Date: 1809

John Heaviside (1748-1828), surgeon and museum proprietor was born in Hertfordshire. He was the apprentice of the surgeon Percivall Pott and in 1770 became the house surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. In 1790 he obtained the post of Surgeon-Extraordinary to King George III and three years later the post of Court of Assistant of the Company of Surgeons. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1797. In 1793 Heaviside established a museum based on the anatomical collection of the late Henry Watson. The collection grew to be one of the most valuable and extensive in Britain at the time. This portrait depicts Heaviside demonstrating part of his anatomical collection, a heart.