David Pitcairn M.D. (1749–1809) was a Scottish physician.
Life
Born on 1 May 1749 in
Fife, he was eldest son of Major
John Pitcairn
Major John Pitcairn (28 December 1722 – 17 June 1775) was a Marine Service officer who was stationed in Boston, Massachusetts, at the start of the American War of Independence.
Born in Scotland in 1722, Pitcairn joined the Naval Service at ...
, who was killed at the
battle of Bunker's Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...
;
Robert Pitcairn (1752–) was his brother. He was sent to
Edinburgh High School
The Royal High School (RHS) of Edinburgh is a co-educational school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland. It serves 1,200 pupils drawn from four feeder primar ...
, the
university of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, and then to 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 ...
. He went on in 1773 to
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he graduated M.B. in 1779 and M.D. in 1784.
In 1779 Pitcairn began practice in London, and was elected a fellow of the
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
on 15 Aug. 1785. He was five times censor, and in 1786 was also
Gulstonian lecturer and
Harveian orator
The Harveian Oration is a yearly lecture held at the Royal College of Physicians of London. It was instituted in 1656 by William Harvey, discoverer of the systemic circulation. Harvey made financial provision for the college to hold an annual feas ...
. On the resignation of his uncle
William Pitcairn, he was, on 10 February 1780, elected physician to
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust.
History
Early history
Barts was founded in 1123 by Rahere (die ...
, and held the post till 1793, when he resigned. He attained a large private practice.
John Latham mentioned, in his treatise on gout and rheumatism, that David Pitcairn was the first to discover that
valvular disease of the heart was a frequent result of
rheumatic fever, and that he made his discovery known in his teaching at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. On 11 April 1782 he 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 knowledge, including mathemat ...
.
Last years and death
Pitcairn had frequent attacks of
quinsy, and failing health, accompanied by
hæmoptysis, in 1798, forced him to give up work and spend eighteen months in Portugal. He returned to England and continued to practise, but on 13 April 1809 had an attack of sore throat, followed by acute inflammation of the larynx, with consequent œdema of the glottis, of which he died on 17 April 1809, at Craig's Court,
Charing Cross.
Matthew Baillie
Matthew Baillie FRS (27 October 1761 – 23 September 1823) was a British physician and pathologist, credited with first identifying transposition of the great vessels (TGV) and situs inversus.
Early life and education
He was born in the mans ...
, a close friend for 30 years, attended him, and described his case, with the similar one of
John Macnamara Hayes, who died of the same disease three months later. Pitcairn's body was examined by
Benjamin Collins Brodie the elder, in the presence of Baillie,
Everard Home
Sir Everard Home, 1st Baronet, FRS (6 May 1756, in Kingston upon Hull – 31 August 1832, in London) was a British surgeon.
Home was born in Kingston-upon-Hull and educated at Westminster School. He gained a scholarship to Trinity College, Ca ...
, and
William Charles Wells
Dr William Charles Wells FRS FRSE FRCP (24 May 1757 – 18 September 1817) was a Scottish-American physician and printer. He lived a life of extraordinary variety, did some notable medical research, and made the first clear statement about n ...
.
Pitcairn was buried in the family vault in the church of
St Bartholomew the Less
St Bartholomew the Less is an Anglican church in the City of London, associated with St Bartholomew's Hospital, within whose precincts it stands. Once a parish church, it has, since 1 June 2015, been a chapel of ease in the parish of St Bartho ...
, without the walls of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. A tablet to his memory was erected in the church of
Hadham Magna,
Hertfordshire.
Family
Pitcairn married Elizabeth, daughter of
William Almack
William Almack (1741–1781) was an English valet, merchant and tavern owner, who became the founder of fashionable clubs and assembly-rooms. His Almack's Coffee House was bought in 1774 and became the gentlemen's club, Brooks's.
Biography
Accor ...
.
Notes
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitcairn, David
1749 births
1809 deaths
18th-century English medical doctors
18th-century Scottish medical doctors
19th-century English medical doctors
19th-century Scottish medical doctors
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Fellows of the Royal Society
People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh
People from Fife