John Rutherford (physician) facts for kids
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John Rutherford was an important Scottish doctor and teacher. He was born on August 1, 1695, and passed away on March 6, 1779, in Edinburgh. He was the father of a famous scientist named Daniel Rutherford. He was also the grandfather of the well-known writer Walter Scott.
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Who Was John Rutherford?
John Rutherford was a very respected doctor during his time. He taught at the University of Edinburgh. This university was one of the best places in the world to study medicine in the 1700s. He was one of the first teachers at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. From 1726 to 1765, he was a professor who taught students how to practice medicine. He was also a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, which is an important group for doctors.
How He Changed Medical Teaching
John Rutherford is most famous for starting a new way of teaching medicine. This method was called clinical teaching. It meant that students learned by working directly with real patients in a hospital. Before this, most students only learned from books and lectures in a classroom.
Learning from Real Patients
This new teaching method was first used by a doctor named Herman Boerhaave at the University of Leiden. John Rutherford brought this idea to the University of Edinburgh. At first, it was hard to do because the university only had a small hospital ward. This meant there were only a few patients for students to learn from.
A New Hospital and More Learning
In 1741, a new hospital called the Royal Infirmary opened. It had many more beds, about 228! In 1748, John Rutherford started giving clinical lessons to all his students there. These lessons became very popular. Soon, learning from patients in the hospital became a required part of studying medicine in Edinburgh.
His Surviving Work
Some of John Rutherford's early teaching notes still exist today. These notes are from the lessons he gave at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. They are kept safe in a special collection at the University of Manchester.
