Robert Freer (or Frier) FRSE FRCPE (1745-8 April 1827) was a soldier and academic, who taught medicine at the University of Glasgow. He was Regius Professor of Medicine from 1796 until his death (31 years). He was twice President of the Medical Society of Edinburgh (1772-4 and 1775-8). He was President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 1797.
He was born in Perthshire. He studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen, graduating with an MA in 1765. He then undertook further studies at the University of Edinburgh and Leyden University in the Netherlands. In 1776 he was recorded as a member of the Glasgow Literary Society. In the same year he gave an eloquent speech to the Medical Society of Edinburgh while acting as their Senior President. [1]
In early life he served as an Ensign and military surgeon both in Europe and in the American war of independence, including at the Battle of Bunker Hill. [2] In 1779 he settled in Glasgow as a physician, in which year King's College, Aberdeen awarded him his doctorate. In 1783 he became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, and in 1786 was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. [3] In 1794 he was elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh. [4] [5] From 1796 he was Professor of Medicine at the University of Glasgow and jointly acting as head Physician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. In the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposers being Daniel Rutherford, James Finlayson and Thomas Charles Hope. He had previously, in 1793, been unsuccessfully proposed by Daniel Rutherford, James Hutton and John Walker. [6]
While teaching he lived at the College Court within the University. [7]
In 1816 he is listed as a Director of the Glasgow Lunatic Asylum. [8]
He died in Glasgow on 9 April 1827.
Thomas Charles Hope was a Scottish physician, chemist and lecturer. He proved the existence of the element strontium, and gave his name to Hope's Experiment, which shows that water reaches its maximum density at 4 °C (39 °F).
Colin Lauder, Worlds End Close, Edinburgh) was a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh FRCSEd, and a burgess of Edinburgh. His portrait was painted by Sir Henry Raeburn.
Robert Graham was a Scottish physician and botanist.
James Begbie was a Scottish medical doctor who served as president of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh (1850–2) and as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1854–6).
Sir Andrew Douglas MaclaganPRSE FRCPE FRCSE FCS FRSSA was a Scottish surgeon, toxicologist and scholar of medical jurisprudence. He served as president of 5 learned societies: the Royal Medical Society (1832), the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (1859–61), the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1884–87), the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1890–5), and the Royal Scottish Society of Arts (1900).
Thomas Jones Mackie CBE FRSE LLD was a noted Scottish bacteriologist; Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Edinburgh; and author of medical research textbooks.
Andrew Duncan, the elder FRSE FRCPE FSA (Scot) was a British physician and professor at the University of Edinburgh. He was joint founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. As first proposer of an asylum in Edinburgh he gives his name to the Andrew Duncan Clinic which forms part of the Edinburgh City Hospital.
Professor Andrew Fyfe FRSE FRCSE PRSSA PRMS was a Scottish surgeon and chemist. Following early studies on Fox Talbot's newly created photographic techniques he was one of the first (1839) to work out the theory behind positive rather than negative prints. He had an amateur interest in photography but appears not to have pursued his own theories and limited his experiments to ferns lying on chemical papers.
John Gray McKendrick FRS FRSE FRCPE LLD was a distinguished Scottish physiologist. He was born and studied in Aberdeen, Scotland, and served as Regius Professor of Physiology at the University of Glasgow from 1876 to 1906. He was co-founder of the Physiological Society.
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James Miller FRCSEd, FRSE was a surgeon and medical author in Edinburgh. He was author of the important 19th century textbook, Principles of Surgery. Like his father he became a member of the Free Church of Scotland in 1843 and was a firm believer in temperance.
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Robert James Blair Cunynghame of Cronan, FRCSEd, FRSE JP was a prominent Scottish surgeon, physiologist and early forensic scientist in the late 19th century. He served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1891 to 1893. He is said to have had a calm, beautiful face and his opinion was used as a benchmark to medical thought.
Peter David Handyside FRSE FRCSE (1808–1881) was a Scottish surgeon and anatomist. He was president of the Royal Medical Society in 1828. He won the Harveian Society Medal in 1827. He was also president of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh in 1871.
James Holmes Hutchison was a Scottish paediatrician and Samson Gemmell Professor of Child Heath at Glasgow University from 1961 to 1977. From 1977 onwards he was Professor of Child Health at the University of Hong Kong. Friends knew him as Jim Hutchison.
Sir William Newbigging FRSE FRCSEd FRGS was a Scottish surgeon who served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1814 to 1816. He was a keen amateur geographer.
Dr John MacWhirter FRSE PRCPE (1783–1854) was a 19th-century Scottish physician who served as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh from 1831 to 1833.
Samuel Alexander Pagan MD FRSE FRCSEd (1793–1867) was a 19th-century Scottish surgeon and obstetrician. He served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1846 to 1848 and President of the Harveian Society in 1849.
George Smith (1919–1994) was a 20th century Scottish surgeon who emigrated to the United States of America.