Historical sketch of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh : being an address delivered on 19th January 1860, at a conversazione in the hall of the college : with notes and documents / by John Gairdner, M.D.

  • Gairdner, John, 1790-1876.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Historical sketch of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh : being an address delivered on 19th January 1860, at a conversazione in the hall of the college : with notes and documents / by John Gairdner, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    I have not been able to trace the family of M'Gill. But I refer my readers to the old Edinburgh Medical Essays [Vol. IL, and V., Part 2] for unequivocal evidence of his enterprise as a practical surgeon and operator. (F. p. 22.)—The lithograph from Mr Rhind's drawing represents the Hall as it was a century ago. About 100 feet in front of it is seen a gate in a screen-wall, which is terminated by two edifices often mentioned in the minutes as the pavilions. The west pavilion was sold, 19th January 1778, for the uses of the High School. Neither pavilion existed in my time. The area inclosed by the screen re- ceived the name of Surgeons' Square when buildings had been erected on its east and west sides. On the west stood the Hall of the Medical Society, and, immediately to the south of it, the Ana- tomical Theatre of Dr Barclay. The east side was chiefly occupied by private dwellings, only one of which remains. To the south- west of the west end of the Hall, stood, in a recess, Dr John Thom- son's class-room. To the south-east of the east end of it, there yet stands a house which was for some time the class-room of Mr John Bell, the eminent surgeon. The whole area of Surgeons' Square, once the property of the College, is now that of the Royal Infirmary. Part of the second or Flodden city wall is seen in the background. The sides of the Hall for the meetings of the College, in the building of 1697, were finished with oak, which, cut into smaller pannels, now adorns the Committee-rooms of the Hall in Nicolson Street. The sculptured stones, seen under the two round windows in the litho- graph, are now to be seen in the front of the Medical Lecture Rooms belonging to the College, immediately behind their Hall. The lower tier of windows and doorway are unchanged. Everything above them has been altered. The silver badge worn by the officer is 162 years old, having been ordered on 18th March 1698. (G. p. 22.)—Places of Meeting op the Surgeons prior to 1697. In very ancient times the incorporation was in the habit of as- sembling in the house of the Deacon.1 On the 15th July 1647, they hired premises in Diksone close, for L.40 yearly.2 On the 18th May 1669 they came to the resolution to build a « conveening- house; and it is probable that, when the Hall of 1697 was con- structed, some part of that older Hall was incorporated with it; for in the resolution to build already quoted, the word «rebuild is 1 See Records of Surgeons, 26th September 1591. 2 See ante, page SO.