Thomas Spens (physician)

He was one of the first writers to provide a written report on what is now called cardiovascular syncope or Adams-Stokes syndrome.

[5] In 1799 Spens was elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh, serving as President in 1808.

[10] His wife Bethia Wood (1781-1867) outlived him and lived at Drummond Place with their son Nathaniel Spens WS (b.1801) and a daughter Helen (b.1821).

The man's pulse rate was noted to be 24 beats per minute but regular and of normal strength.

Several subsequent episodes occurred over the next few days, in some instances accompanied by convulsions and always with a slow regular pulse of normal strength, recorded on one occasion at 10 beats per minute.

[4] The case report was published in Medical Commentaries for the year 1792, edited by Andrew Duncan.