John Thomson (physician)

He was born in Paisley on 15 March 1765, the son of Joseph Thomson, a silk-weaver from Kinross, and his wife Mary Millar.

At the end of his term of service his father intended him for the ministry, but was persuaded to apprentice him in 1785 to Dr. John White of Paisley, with whom he remained for three years.

On 31 July 1792 Thomson, in poor health, resigned his appointment and went to London, where he studied at John Hunter's school of medicine in Leicester Square.

[1] The College of Surgeons of Edinburgh established a professorship of surgery in 1805, and, in spite of opposition, Thomson was appointed to the post.

In 1806, at the suggestion of Earl Spencer, the Home Secretary, the King appointed him professor of military surgery in the University of Edinburgh.

[1] He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1812.His proposers were John Playfair, Thomas Thomson and Sir George Steuart Mackenzie.

He was engaged during 1822–6 in the study of general pathology, and in 1821 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the chair of the practice of physic in the university, vacant after the death of James Gregory.

[1] In 1831 Thomson addressed to Lord Melbourne, then secretary of state for the home department, a memorial on the advantages of a separate chair of general pathology.

A commission was issued in his favour, and he was appointed professor of general pathology at Edinburgh, giving his first course of lectures in the winter session of 1832–3.