Dr Alexander Tweedie FRS (29 August 1794 – 30 May 1884) was a Scottish physician and writer.

Life

He was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

on 29 August 1794, and received his early education at the Royal High School there. In 1809 he began medical studies at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, and at about the same time became a pupil of a surgeon to the

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest v ...

, John Henry Wishart. On 1 August 1815 Tweedie took the degree of M.D., and in 1817 became a fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

. He was then living at 16 Nicolson Street in Edinburgh's South Side.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1817 Tweedie was elected one of the two house-surgeons to the Royal Infirmary,

Robert Liston Robert Liston (28 October 1794 – 7 December 1847) was a British surgeon. Liston was noted for his speed and skill in an era prior to anaesthetics, when speed made a difference in terms of pain and survival. He was the first Professor of Cli ...

being the other. In 1818 Tweedie went into practice in Edinburgh, with the intention of becoming a specialist in

ophthalmic surgery Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, by an ophthalmologist or sometimes, an optometrist. Eye surgery is synonymous with ophthalmology. The eye is a very fragile organ, and requ ...

; but in 1820 he moved to London, took a residence in Ely Place, and on 25 June 1822 was admitted a licentiate of the

College of Physicians A college of physicians is a national or provincial organisation concerned with the practice of medicine. {{Expand list, date=February 2011 Such institutions include: * American College of Physicians * Ceylon College of Physicians * College of Phy ...

. He became a fellow of the college on 4 July 1838, was conciliarius in 1853, 1854, and 1855, and

Lumleian Lecturer The Lumleian Lectures are a series of annual lectures started in 1582 by the Royal College of Physicians and currently run by the Lumleian Trust. The name commemorates John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, who with Richard Caldwell of the College endowed ...

in 1858 and 1859. In 1866 he was elected an honorary fellow of the King's and Queen's College of Physicians in Ireland. In 1822 Tweedie was appointed assistant physician to the

London Fever Hospital The London Fever Hospital was a voluntary hospital financed from public donations in Liverpool Road in London. It was one of the first fever hospitals in the country. History Originally established with 15 beds in 1802 in Gray's Inn Road, it mov ...

, and in 1824, on the retirement of John Armstrong, filled the post of physician to the hospital, which he held for 38 years. He resigned it in 1861, when he was appointed consulting physician and one of the vice-presidents. In 1836 he was elected physician to the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...

; he was also physician to the

Standard Assurance Company Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

, examiner in medicine at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, and was an honorary member of the Medical Psychological Association. Tweedie was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

on 8 February 1838. He died at his residence, Bute Lodge,

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...

, on 30 May 1884, continuing to practise at the age of 89 years.

Works

Tweedie was a voluminous writer. He was joint-author with Charles Gaselee of ''A Practical Treatise on Cholera'' (1832), and was the original planner of the ''

Cyclopædia of Practical Medicine The ''Cyclopædia of Practical Medicine'' was a British monthly medical journal, first published in 1832. It was divided into alphabetical articles, and came to four volumes, part-published and then completed by 1835. The volumes were: #Abd–Ele ...

'' (London, 1831–5, 4 vols.), of which he was one of the editors. He planned and edited the ''Library of Medicine'', in eight volumes, which appeared in 1840–42; and was the author of ''Clinical Illustrations of Fever'' (London, 1828), and of ''Lectures on the Distinctive Characters, Pathology, and Treatment of Continued Fevers'' (1862).

References

*
TWEEDIE, Alexander (1794–1884)
Royal College of Physicians ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Tweedie, Alexander 1794 births 1884 deaths People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish medical doctors 19th-century Scottish writers Fellows of the Royal Society Alumni of the University of Edinburgh