John Struthers (anatomist)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Struthers, LRCSE, MD
, LLD, FRCSE
, FRSE
(born February 21, 1823, Brucefield, near Dunfermline
, Scotland
– d. ) was Professor of Anatomy
at the University of Aberdeen
.
After completing his medical training in Edinburgh in 1845, Struthers specialized in anatomy and was appointed as Lecturer of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh and as a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary. In 1863, Struthers became the first Regius Chair of Anatomy
at the recently formed University of Aberdeen. He dedicated himself to teaching, writing a number of manuscripts on teaching and learning. Many of the methods he used are relevant today. His Doctor of Laws degree was an honorary one, granted by the University of Glasgow
in 1885.
Struthers was one of the first advocates of the theory of evolution
, speaking publicly and corresponding with Charles Darwin
about observations he made during his comparative anatomy
studies
Struthers became popularly famous for his dissection of the Tay Whale - his largest specimen.
On retiring from the University of Aberdeen, he returned to Edinburgh, where he was president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
(1895–1897). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
in 1894, and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898, one year before his death following a "serious attack of influenza.". He is buried in Warriston Cemetery
, Edinburgh.
Struthers' wife Christina was the eldest daughter of John Alexander
, chief clerk to Bow Street Police Court.
Struthers was father-in-law of David Orme Masson
, grandfather of Sir James Irvine Orme Masson, and father-in-law of Simon Somerville Laurie.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, LLD, FRCSE
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an organisation dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement in surgical practice, through its interest in education, training and examinations, its liaison with external medical bodies and representation of the modern surgical workforce...
, FRSE
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
(born February 21, 1823, Brucefield, near Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
– d. ) was Professor of Anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
at 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...
.
After completing his medical training in Edinburgh in 1845, Struthers specialized in anatomy and was appointed as Lecturer of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh and as a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary. In 1863, Struthers became the first Regius Chair of Anatomy
Regius Professor of Anatomy (Aberdeen)
The Regius Professor of Anatomy is a Regius Professorship at the University of Aberdeen....
at the recently formed University of Aberdeen. He dedicated himself to teaching, writing a number of manuscripts on teaching and learning. Many of the methods he used are relevant today. His Doctor of Laws degree was an honorary one, granted by the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
in 1885.
Struthers was one of the first advocates of the theory of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, speaking publicly and corresponding with Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
about observations he made during his comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
studies
Struthers became popularly famous for his dissection of the Tay Whale - his largest specimen.
On retiring from the University of Aberdeen, he returned to Edinburgh, where he was president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an organisation dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement in surgical practice, through its interest in education, training and examinations, its liaison with external medical bodies and representation of the modern surgical workforce...
(1895–1897). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
in 1894, and was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898, one year before his death following a "serious attack of influenza.". He is buried in Warriston Cemetery
Warriston Cemetery
Warriston Cemetery lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping site...
, Edinburgh.
Struthers' wife Christina was the eldest daughter of John Alexander
John Alexander (chief clerk)
John Alexander was Chief Clerk to Bow Street Magistrates' Court, then called Bow Street Police Court , and simultaneously, as was then the custom, Editor of the Police Gazette in England from 1877 until his retirement in 1895.John Alexander was born in Wooler, Northumberland, son of country...
, chief clerk to Bow Street Police Court.
Struthers was father-in-law of David Orme Masson
David Orme Masson
Sir David Orme Masson KBE FRS was a scientist born in England who emigrated to Australia to become Professor of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne.-Early life:...
, grandfather of Sir James Irvine Orme Masson, and father-in-law of Simon Somerville Laurie.