The Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons under the Medical Act : the introductory address at Surgeons' Hall, session 1861-62 / by John Struthers.
- John Struthers
- Date:
- 1861
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons under the Medical Act : the introductory address at Surgeons' Hall, session 1861-62 / by John Struthers. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![one of its Fellows, its first Professor of Anatomy, to hold the appointment during the ])leasure of the College. Following him in that office we find the names of Adam Drummond, John M'Gill, and Alexander Monro, the first of the three Monroes. This was in 1720, soon after which various other departments were added to the school at the theatre of the College. Theory of Physic was taught by St Clair, Practice of Physic by Drs Rutherford and Lines, Chemistry by Dr Plummer. Chemistry, however, had been publicly taught before this, in 1697, by Alex- ander Monteith one of the surgeons, who had obtained a chemi- cal laboratory within the Surgeons' Hall for that purpose. When, in 1722, Monro was appointed Professor of Anatomy in the University he continued to teach in the Surgeons' Hall until the Town Council provided a theatre for him in 1725, and it was then that from this school at the College of Surgeons the Medical School of the University arose, by appointment of the Town Council on the recommendation of the Colleges of Sur- geons and Physicians. These references may suffice to show us the important part Avhich the College of Surgeons played in the formation and development of the Edinburgh School of Medicine. It would lead me beyond my present hmits were I to notice the various steps which the College has taken from time to time to extend the course of medical education. I ought not, however, to omit to notice tlie erection of Anatomy and Surgery into distinct courses of instruction, these sciences having previously been taught together by the same teacher. The College seeing the insufficiency of this, in 1777 memorialized the King to found a Chair of Surgery in the University. This, however, met with so much opposition from the teachers in that institution that it was not till 1831 that the eflPorts of the College to accomplish that object were successful. The College, however, had mean- while douo its part by appointing a Professor of Surgery of its own. As far as knowledge on the part of the teacher](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22323223_0042.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
