Dr Donald Monro FRS

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FRCP (1727–1802) was a Scottish physician and medical author.

Life

He was the second son of

Alexander Monro (primus) Alexander Monro (19 September 169710 July 1767) was a Scottish surgeon and anatomist. His father, the surgeon John Monro, had been a prime mover in the foundation of the Edinburgh Medical School and had arranged Alexander's education in the ...

. He came from the Munro of Auchinbowie family, who were a branch of the Scottish highland

Clan Munro Clan Munro (; gd, Clann an Rothaich ) is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically the clan was based in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional origins of the clan give its founder as Donald Munro who came from the north of Ireland and ...

. Donald Monro 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 ...

in 1727. He was sent along with his brothers to Mr Mundell's school at Edinburgh and then entered 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 ...

to be educated for a medical career. He took his degree as Doctor of Medicine on 8 June 1753 and afterwards settled in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He was admitted a licentiate of the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

on 12 April 1756 and on 3 November 1758 was elected a physician to

St George's Hospital St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundatio ...

. On 3 December 1760, during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

when Britain and

Frederick II of Prussia Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

were united against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, Dr Donald Monro received a commission as physician to the hospital for the British forces in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and he remained abroad until March 1763. His work received special encouragement from Duke Ferdinand of Bavaria and General the Marquis of Granby. He retired as physician General to the Army on half-pay of ten shillings a day and settled down to private practice at Jermyn Street, London. He was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society on 1 May 1766, and a Fellow of the

on 30 September 1771. He was Censor of the College in 1772, 1781, 1785 and 1789, and was named Elect on 10 July 1788. He delivered the Croonian lectures in 1774 and 1775, and the Harveian oration in 1775. In 1783 he was a joint founder of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

. Dr Donald Monro died at Argyle Street, London on 9 June 1802, aged seventy four years.

Publications

Dr Donald Monro's principal publications were: "Observations on the Means of preserving the Health of Soldiers", 1780 and a treatise in four volumes on "Medical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Materia Medica", 1788. He also contributed articles to the Edinburgh "Essays Physical and Literary", and wrote a memoir of his father (

) for the collected edition of his works published in 1782 by his brother

Alexander Monro (secundus) Alexander Monro of Craiglockhart and Cockburn (22 May 1733 – 2 October 1817) was a Scottish anatomist, physician and medical educator. He is typically known as or Junior to distinguish him as the second of three generations of physicians of ...

Family

He was married to Dorothea Maria Heineken.

References

;Attribution

Sources

*"The Monros of Auchinbowie and Cognate Families". By John Alexander Inglis. Edinburgh. Printed privately by T and A Constable. Printers to His Majesty. 1911.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Monro, Donald

Donald Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

1727 births 1802 deaths 18th-century Scottish medical doctors Medical doctors from Edinburgh Founder Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society Members of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh Scottish medical writers People educated at James Mundell's School