Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew Duncan
Born	17 October 1744 Pinkerton, Fife, UK
Died	5 July 1828 (aged 83)
Occupation	Physician and professor

Andrew Duncan (born 17 October 1744 – died 5 July 1828) was an important Scottish doctor and professor at the University of Edinburgh. He helped start the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is also famous for suggesting that Edinburgh needed a special hospital for people with mental health issues. Because of this, the Andrew Duncan Clinic at the Edinburgh City Hospital is named after him.

A Young Doctor's Life

Andrew Duncan was born in Pinkerton, near St Andrews, Fife, on 17 October 1744. His father was a merchant and shipmaster. Andrew was known as "the smiling boy" because he was always good-natured.

He went to the University of St Andrews and earned his M.A. degree in 1762. Then, in 1762, he started studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He learned from some very famous doctors of his time, like Joseph Black and William Cullen.

Early Career and Travels

Andrew Duncan was very involved in the Royal Medical Society, a group for medical students. He was president many times and treasurer for years.

After finishing his studies in 1768, he worked as a surgeon on a ship for the East India Company and traveled to China. When he came back, he got his M.D. degree from St Andrews in 1769.

In 1770, he became a licensed doctor in Edinburgh. He also tried to become a professor at St Andrews but wasn't chosen. In 1774, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society, a famous group in America.

Starting New Medical Ideas

In 1774, Andrew Duncan started giving lectures at the University of Edinburgh. When another professor didn't return, Duncan began his own special medical courses outside the university.

He also opened the first free hospital in Scotland, called the Public Dispensary. This hospital later became the Royal Public Dispensary in 1818.

In 1773, he started a medical journal called Medical and Philosophical Commentaries. This was the first regular medical review journal in Britain. It helped doctors share new ideas and discoveries.

He also founded two important clubs for doctors:

• The Aesculapian Club in 1773, which helped doctors discuss ideas and build friendships.
• The Harveian Society of Edinburgh in 1782, which celebrated the work of William Harvey, who discovered how blood circulates in the body.

Becoming a Professor

Andrew Duncan's lectures outside the university were very popular. In 1790, he became the president of the Edinburgh College of Physicians. That same year, he became a professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh, teaching about how the body works (physiology).

Helping People with Mental Health Issues

In 1792, Andrew Duncan suggested building a public hospital for people with mental health problems, called a lunatic asylum. He got the idea after hearing about the sad death of a poet named Robert Fergusson in a workhouse.

It took a lot of effort, but his dream finally came true. In 1807, a special hospital was built in Morningside.

He also gave the first lectures in Britain on forensic medicine, which is about using medical knowledge to solve crimes. He fought to create a special teaching position for this subject at the University of Edinburgh. His son, Andrew Duncan, the younger, later took on this role.

Later Achievements

In 1808, Andrew Duncan was given the freedom of Edinburgh for his work in starting the dispensary and the asylum. In 1809, he founded the Caledonian Horticultural Society, which helped with gardening and plant science.

In his later years, he worked to create a public experimental garden. In 1821, he became the main doctor for the King in Scotland. He was also president of the Edinburgh College of Physicians again in 1824.

Andrew Duncan was very dedicated to his work. He believed that no important group's work should stop just because he wasn't there. For over 50 years, he walked to the top of Arthur's Seat (a famous hill in Edinburgh) every May-day morning. He did this for the last time in 1827.

He passed away at his home in Edinburgh on 5 July 1828, at 84 years old. He left many of his medical notes and observations to the Edinburgh College of Physicians.

His Writings

Andrew Duncan wrote many books and articles. Some of his important works include:

• Elements of Therapeutics (1770), which was about how to treat diseases.
• Medical Cases (1778), which shared examples of different medical situations.
• He also edited books like Hoffmann's Practice of Medicine and The New Dispensatory, which was a guide to medicines.
• He wrote about different types of lung diseases in Observations on the Distinguishing Symptoms of three different Species of Pulmonary consumption (1813).

He also wrote speeches and memoirs about other famous doctors and scientists, like William Harvey and Joseph Banks.

His Family

In 1771, Andrew Duncan married Elizabeth Knox. They had twelve children. His oldest son, Andrew Duncan, the younger, also became a professor at Edinburgh. His third son, Alexander Duncan, became a general in the army and was known for his work in India.

Freemasonry

Andrew Duncan was a member of a group called the Scottish Freemasons. He joined Lodge Canongate Kilwinning in 1774. The records of the lodge mention him as the "founder of the Edinburgh dispensary."

His Burial Place

Andrew Duncan is buried with many of his family members in a special tomb in Buccleuch Churchyard in Edinburgh. Interestingly, one of his talented students, Charles Darwin (1758–1778) (who was the uncle of the famous naturalist Charles Darwin), is also buried in the tomb.

Legacy

The Andrew Duncan Clinic at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, which opened in 1965, is named after him. There is also a statue of him by Lawrence Macdonald at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Images for kids

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  Duncan's mausoleum in Edinburgh

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  Duncan's gravestone (centre)