John Gordon (anatomist): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Scottish anatomist}} |
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[[File:19 Castle Street, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|19 Castle Street, Edinburgh]] |
[[File:19 Castle Street, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|19 Castle Street, Edinburgh]] |
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Dr |
Dr '''John Gordon''' [[FRSE]] [[Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh|FRCSE]] (19 April 1786 – 14 June 1818) was a short-lived but influential Scottish [[Anatomy|anatomist]]. In 1806 he served as president of the [[Royal Medical Society]]. In 1815 he caused an international stir by debunking the new science of [[phrenology]] and publicly criticising its principal European exponents, [[Johann Spurzheim]] and [[Franz Joseph Gall]]. |
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==Life== |
==Life== |
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[[File:The grave of Dr John Gordon, Greyfriars Kirkyard.jpg|thumb|The grave of Dr John Gordon, Greyfriars Kirkyard]] |
[[File:The grave of Dr John Gordon, Greyfriars Kirkyard.jpg|thumb|The grave of Dr John Gordon, Greyfriars Kirkyard]] |
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He was born on 19 April 1786 in [[Forres]] in northern [[Scotland]] the son of John Gordon a wine-merchant and banker. |
He was born on 19 April 1786 in [[Forres]] in northern [[Scotland]] the son of John Gordon a wine-merchant and banker.<ref name=frse>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043356/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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He studied |
He studied medicine at the [[University of Edinburgh]] under [[John Barclay (anatomist)|Dr John Barclay]] and philosophy under [[Dugald Stewart]]. He gained his doctorate [[Doctor of Medicine|MD]] in 1805 aged 19. He then did further studies in Anatomy in [[London]]. A prodigy, he served as President of the Royal Medical Society in 1806 aged just 20. On return to Edinburgh he taught [[anatomy]] and [[physiology]] at his anatomy school at 9 Surgeons' Square, one of the earliest teachers in the [[Edinburgh Extramural School of Medicine]]. he served as a surgeon at the [[Edinburgh Royal Infirmary]] on Drummond Street. He was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] in 1812. His proposers were [[Thomas Thomson (advocate)|Thomas Thomson]], [[John Playfair]] and [[Thomas Allan (mineralogist)|Thomas Allan]].<ref name=frse/> |
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In June 1815 he published "The Doctorines of Gall and Spurzheim", which |
In June 1815 he published "The Doctorines of Gall and Spurzheim", which while criticising [[phrenology]] also did much to publicise this then relatively unknown "science". Ironically in his criticism he gave a concise and erudite summary of the complex dimensions of phrenology, enabling it to be understood to a far wider audience.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.historyofphrenology.org.uk/texts/gordon.htm|title=History of Phrenology on the Web|website=www.historyofphrenology.org.uk}}</ref> Gordon instead supported the views of [[Johann Christian Reil|Reil]].<ref>Nineteenth Century Origins of Neuroscientific Concepts, Edwin Clarke and L S Jacnya</ref> |
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He lived at 19 Castle Street in [[New Town, Edinburgh|Edinburgh's New Town]].<ref>Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1817-18</ref> |
He lived at 19 Castle Street in [[New Town, Edinburgh|Edinburgh's New Town]].<ref>Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1817-18</ref> |
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He died on 14 June 1818 aged |
He died on 14 June 1818 aged 32 and was buried in [[Greyfriars Kirkyard]]. The large and simple monument stands near the centre of the western extension. |
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==Family== |
==Family== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, John}} |
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Latest revision as of 18:15, 11 March 2023
Dr John Gordon FRSE FRCSE (19 April 1786 – 14 June 1818) was a short-lived but influential Scottish anatomist. In 1806 he served as president of the Royal Medical Society. In 1815 he caused an international stir by debunking the new science of phrenology and publicly criticising its principal European exponents, Johann Spurzheim and Franz Joseph Gall.
Life
[edit]
He was born on 19 April 1786 in Forres in northern Scotland the son of John Gordon a wine-merchant and banker.[1]
He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh under Dr John Barclay and philosophy under Dugald Stewart. He gained his doctorate MD in 1805 aged 19. He then did further studies in Anatomy in London. A prodigy, he served as President of the Royal Medical Society in 1806 aged just 20. On return to Edinburgh he taught anatomy and physiology at his anatomy school at 9 Surgeons' Square, one of the earliest teachers in the Edinburgh Extramural School of Medicine. he served as a surgeon at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on Drummond Street. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1812. His proposers were Thomas Thomson, John Playfair and Thomas Allan.[1]
In June 1815 he published "The Doctorines of Gall and Spurzheim", which while criticising phrenology also did much to publicise this then relatively unknown "science". Ironically in his criticism he gave a concise and erudite summary of the complex dimensions of phrenology, enabling it to be understood to a far wider audience.[2] Gordon instead supported the views of Reil.[3]
He lived at 19 Castle Street in Edinburgh's New Town.[4]
He died on 14 June 1818 aged 32 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. The large and simple monument stands near the centre of the western extension.
Family
[edit]He married the sister of Andrew Rutherfurd, Lord Rutherfurd. Their son was John Thomson Gordon FRSE.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "History of Phrenology on the Web". www.historyofphrenology.org.uk.
- ^ Nineteenth Century Origins of Neuroscientific Concepts, Edwin Clarke and L S Jacnya
- ^ Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1817-18
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