Andrew Duncan (doctor)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Duncan FRSE FRCPE FSA(Scot) (17 October 1744 - 5 July 1828) was a Scottish
physician
. He was born at Pinkerton, by St Andrews
, in Fife
, and educated nearby at the University of St Andrews
. He founded the first free hospital in Scotland, the Royal Public Dispensary of Edinburgh
, in 1776.
He was a campaigner for improved institutional care and treatment of mental health
patients following the death of the poet Robert Fergusson
in 1774, founding the Royal Edinburgh Hospital
in 1807 for this purpose and publishing Observations on the Structure of Hospitals for the Treatment of Lunatics in 1809.
Inspired by a miscarriage of justice, he also delivered the first lectures on forensic medicine in Britain
, at the University of Edinburgh
and campaigned to establish a chair of medical jurisprudence
there, which was filled by his son, Andrew junior, who followed him into the profession.
He began publication of the quarterly Medical and Philosophical Commentaries in 1773, the first medical review journal published regularly in Great Britain
. His other publications include the textbook Elements of Therapeutics (1770).
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. He was born at Pinkerton, by St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, and educated nearby at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
. He founded the first free hospital in Scotland, the Royal Public Dispensary of Edinburgh
Royal Public Dispensary of Edinburgh
The Public Dispensary of Edinburgh is regarded as the first free-of-charge hospital in Scotland. It gave rise to both the first Department of General Practice and, in 1963, the first Chair of General Practice in the world, both at the University of Edinburgh....
, in 1776.
He was a campaigner for improved institutional care and treatment of mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
patients following the death of the poet Robert Fergusson
Robert Fergusson
Robert Fergusson was a Scottish poet. After formal education at the University of St Andrews, Fergusson followed an essentially bohemian life course in Edinburgh, the city of his birth, then at the height of intellectual and cultural ferment as part of the Scottish enlightenment...
in 1774, founding the Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
The Royal Edinburgh Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is operated by the Primary and Community Division of NHS Lothian...
in 1807 for this purpose and publishing Observations on the Structure of Hospitals for the Treatment of Lunatics in 1809.
Inspired by a miscarriage of justice, he also delivered the first lectures on forensic medicine in Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
, at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and campaigned to establish a chair of medical jurisprudence
Medical jurisprudence
Medical jurisprudence, or forensic medicine in the broad sense , now embraces all matters which may bring the physician into contact with the law...
there, which was filled by his son, Andrew junior, who followed him into the profession.
He began publication of the quarterly Medical and Philosophical Commentaries in 1773, the first medical review journal published regularly in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. His other publications include the textbook Elements of Therapeutics (1770).