George Young (surgeon, born 1692) facts for kids

George Young (1692–1757) was a doctor from Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a surgeon, a physician, and a thinker who believed in learning from experience.

When he was young, George Young was part of a group called the Rankenian Club. This club included many smart people. They later became important figures in the Scottish Enlightenment. This was a time when new ideas about science and thinking became popular in Scotland.

George Young's notes from his lectures (1730–1731) show how doctors worked back then. He believed in using observation to learn more about medicine. He especially focused on how nerves and muscles work. His ideas influenced his students, like Robert Whytt and James Hill. Young taught them to observe carefully and question old ideas. Whytt learned more about nerves and muscles. Hill made important discoveries about head injuries.

Early Life

George Young was born in Edinburgh in 1692. On March 14, 1711, he started training with Alexander Simpson. Simpson was a surgeon and apothecary in Edinburgh. An apothecary prepared and sold medicines.

In July 1719, Young passed his exam to join the Incorporation of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This made him a "freeman" or "fellow." This meant he was a qualified surgeon. Around this time, he joined the Rankenian Club. He was the only surgeon known to be a member.

The Rankenian Club was very important. It was one of many smart groups in Scotland during the Scottish Enlightenment. A magazine in 1771 said the club helped spread new ideas. These ideas included freedom of thought and careful reasoning. Many members of this club became very famous.

Medical Career

George Young worked as a surgeon-apothecary in Edinburgh starting around 1720. Between 1720 and 1754, he trained twelve young surgeons. But he also wanted to be a physician. A physician is a doctor who treats illnesses with medicine.

To become a physician, he earned a medical degree (MD) from St Andrews University. He got this degree on June 21, 1736, without having to be there. The next year, he became a licensed member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

Young's Lectures

In 1730 and 1731, Young gave lectures in Edinburgh. He taught about medicine and surgery. A copy of his lecture notes is in the RCPE library. His background as a surgeon and his friends from the Rankenian Club influenced his teaching.

He often said that doctors should trust what they observe. They should not just guess or believe old ideas. His way of thinking about medicine was like Thomas Sydenham (1624–1689). Sydenham was an English doctor who also believed in careful observation.

Young's lectures covered many medical and surgical practices of his time. He also talked about new ideas on how nerves and muscles work. He knew a lot about what other scientists were saying. He looked at ideas from James Keill, Daniel Bernoulli, and John Mayow. He was careful about the ideas of Herman Boerhaave and Thomas Willis.

His student, Robert Whytt (1714–1766), wrote down these lectures. Young's ideas greatly influenced Whytt's own work. Whytt later wrote a book called Essay on the Vital and Other Involuntary Motions of Animals in 1751.

Young's Apprentice James Hill

James Hill (1703–1776) started training with George Young in 1723. After his training, Hill became a surgeon in Dumfries. In 1772, he published a book called Cases in Surgery. This book shared stories of cases he had treated, including head injuries.

Young had taught Hill how important it was to observe carefully. He also taught him to question things. Hill's cases of head injuries were the best published in the 1700s. Hill could tell when bleeding inside the head was causing problems after an injury. He could then treat it successfully by drilling a small hole to drain the blood. His writings helped doctors understand how to treat head injuries. People were still quoting his work 100 years later.

Legacy

People like Robert Whytt saw George Young as someone who questioned things and learned from experience. Young's discussions with his friends in the Rankenian Club might have influenced others. These ideas were important for thinkers like David Hume. Hume developed ideas about learning from experience and questioning beliefs.

Young's lectures were very similar to Hume's ideas about cause and effect. George Young had a big influence on James Hill and Robert Whytt. His son, Thomas Young, became a professor of midwifery in Edinburgh. He even set up the first special ward for women giving birth in Scotland.

George Young's ideas are summarized in a book called the Dictionary of Eighteenth-Century British Philosophers.