Life

He was born 18 January 1792, the son of Andrew Fyfe the Elder

Andrew Fyfe the Elder

-Life:Fyfe was born in 1754, probably at Corstorphine, near Edinburgh, where his father lived. He was appointed 'dissector' to Monro secundus, professor of anatomy in Edinburgh University, in 1777. For about forty years he superintended the dissections and gave demonstrations in the anatomical...

. He graduated M.D. 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...

 in 1814, and became fellow of the Edinburgh College of Surgeons in 1818, and president in 1842-3.

He lectured privately on chemistry and pharmacy at Edinburgh for many years, having been assistant to Professor Hope. He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1832 for the chair of materia medica

Materia medica

Materia medica is a Latin medical term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing . The term 'materia medica' derived from the title of a work by the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the 1st century AD, De materia medica libre...

 at Edinburgh, but in 1844 became professor of chemistry in the University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...

, and retained his professorship till his death on 31 December 1861 at Edinburgh; for some years his lectures were given by a deputy. His knowledge of inflammable substances was reputed, and he gave evidence in official inquiries on such subjects.