John Aitken (surgeon) facts for kids
John Aitken was a Scottish surgeon and writer who lived a long time ago. He was special because he was the first teacher of medicine outside the main university in Edinburgh. He taught many students about surgery and other medical topics. He passed away on September 22, 1790.
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John Aitken's Early Life
We don't know much about John Aitken's childhood. We do know he was Scottish. He started studying at the University of Edinburgh in 1763. There, he learned about the human body (anatomy), surgery, and chemistry. He returned to study more in 1769, focusing on medicine and helping with childbirth (midwifery).
In 1770, he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This was an important step for a surgeon. He was also chosen to lead the Medical Society of Edinburgh twice, in 1774 and 1775.
His Career as a Surgeon and Teacher
John Aitken became a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. By 1779, he was known as a surgeon and a teacher of surgery in Edinburgh. He gave lectures to medical students at "The Edinburgh Anatomical Theatre." He also showed them how to dissect (carefully cut open) bodies to learn about them.
This "Anatomical Theatre" was outside the main university. This means Aitken was one of the first people to teach medicine outside the official university medical school. His classes were popular, and people thought he was a good teacher. He also wrote several books. These books were mainly textbooks for his students. They were full of useful information and showed he knew a lot about medicine and philosophy.
Improvements in Surgery
John Aitken made some important changes to surgery. He improved how midwifery forceps worked. These tools help doctors during childbirth. His changes made them easier for doctors to use and safer for both the mother and the baby.
He also invented a flexible blade for a tool called a lever. Aitken also created special forceps. These forceps could divide and make a stone in the bladder smaller. This was helpful when a stone was too big to remove completely during surgery.
Aitken also designed a special saw. This saw was used to divide the pubic symphysis. This is a joint in the pelvis. It was used when a mother's pelvis was too narrow for a baby to be born easily. This saw was made from a clock chain with teeth cut into it. It was used for a long time in childbirth until a new wire saw was invented by an Italian doctor named Leonardo Gigle.
It's not clear where John Aitken earned his MD degree. He started using "MD" after his name in 1783. His name isn't on the graduation lists for Scottish universities or Trinity College Dublin. He might have earned his degree in another European country.
His name is spelled "Aitkin" in a dictionary from 1905. However, all his books and other records use the spelling "Aitken." His picture is on the front page of his book, Elements of Physic and Surgery, from 1779.
John Aitken's Books
John Aitken wrote many important books, mostly for his students:
- ‘Essays on several important subjects in surgery, chiefly with regard to the nature and cure of fractures,’ London, 1771.
- ‘Essays and Cases in Surgery,’ London, 1775.
- ‘Conspectus Rei Chirurgicæ,’ Edinburgh, 1777.
- ‘Medical Improvement; an Address to the Medical Society of Edinburgh,’ Edinburgh, 1777.
- ‘Elements of the Theory and Practice of Surgery,’ Edinburgh, 1779. This book was later combined with another to form ‘Elements of the Theory and Practice of Physic and Surgery,’ London, 1783.
- ‘Outlines of the Theory and Cure of Fever,’ London, 1781.
- ‘Principles of Midwifery or Puerperal Medicine,’ 1784.
- ‘Osteology; or a Treatise on the Bones of the Human Skeleton,’ London, 1785.
- ‘Principles of Anatomy and Physiology,’ Edinburgh, 1786.
- ‘Essays on Fractures and Luxations,’ London, 1790.
