Eminent doctors: Their lives and their work; Vol. 1 of 2Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas)
History
Eminent doctors: Their lives and their work; Vol. 1 of 2
Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas)
Medicine -- Great Britain -- History; Physicians -- Great Britain
The receipt of a small legacy was the turning-point of Cullen’s
earlier fortunes: and how small a sum a studious Scotchman can make
available in this direction is well known. Cullen resolved to devote
himself to study entirely until he should be qualified to take a
firm stand as a surgeon at Hamilton. He first went to reside with a
dissenting minister in Northumberland, for the study of literature
and philosophy, and then spent the winter sessions of 1734-5 and
1735-6 at Edinburgh Medical School, now rapidly rising into note.
On establishing himself as a surgeon at Hamilton early in 1736,
young Cullen was soon employed by the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton
and the leading families of the neighbourhood. In this comparatively
retired situation Cullen yet gained the confidence of Dr. Clerk, an
able Edinburgh physician called in to Hamilton Palace, and was the
means of influencing William Hunter to the choice of the medical
profession. William Hunter was Cullen’s resident pupil from 1737 to
1740, and declared these to have been the happiest years of his life.
Thus natural selection brings men of future note together before
the world has known them, and the lineal succession of minds is as
fruitfully carried on as that of bodies. The affection of these two
continued throughout life. Long after William Hunter refers to him as
“a man to whom I owe most, and love most of all men in the world.”
Cullen determining to devote all his time to medicine, proceeded to
the M.D. degree at Glasgow in 1740, and took a partner who was to
relieve him of surgical work. In November 1741 he married Miss Anna
Johnstone, a lady of much conversational power and charming manners,
whose companionship he enjoyed for the long period of forty-six
years. She became the mother of seven sons and four daughters. Dr.
Cullen’s name was now becoming known considerably beyond his native
locality, and in 1744 he removed to Glasgow, a step which he would
have taken previously but for the solicitations and promises of
the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. His constant attendance on the
duke in his painful illness was ended by the death of the latter in
1743, which put an end to the project of a chemical laboratory and a
botanical garden at the palace, which had been among the inducements
by which he had been prevailed upon not to quit Hamilton. Henceforth,
in the intervals of practice and study, he began to occupy himself
vigorously with the founding of a medical school at Glasgow. He at
once began to lecture on medicine, and subsequently added to his
courses chemistry, materia medica, and botany, in all of which he
gave lectures not merely representing the knowledge of the time,
but also including original views of high value. The young school
grew, though not so rapidly as that of Edinburgh; but thus early he
was brought into contact with yet another great man, Joseph Black,
who was for some years his intimate pupil, and afterwards left
Glasgow for Edinburgh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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