Robert Spittal MD

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 ...

(c.1800–1852) was a 19th-century Scottish physician and amateur botanist.

Life

Spittal was born to Marion Brown and

James Spittal Sir James Spittal (1769–1842) was a Scottish silk merchant who was Lord Provost of Edinburgh 1833 to 1837. Spittal Street in the west of Edinburgh is named after him. He was a strong Whig politician who campaigned for election reforms to increa ...

. The family moved to 59 South Bridge in

Edinburgh's Old Town The Old Town ( sco, Auld Toun) is the name popularly given to the oldest part of Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh. The area has preserved much of its medieval street plan and many Reformation-era buildings. Together with the 18th/19th-cent ...

in 1810. He studied medicine 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 became an assistant physician at 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 ...

. In 1829 he was President of the Edinburgh Plinian Natural History Society and President of the

Royal Medical Society The Royal Medical Society (RMS) is a society run by students at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, Scotland. It claims to be the oldest medical society in the United Kingdom although this claim is also made by the earlier London-based ...

in 1833. He undertook further postgraduate studies in Germany and received his doctorate (MD) from the

University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (german: Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is named after its most famous faculty member, Justus von L ...

in 1838. On his return he began lecturing in Medical Acoustics at the University of Edinburgh and from 1839 also lectured at Edinburgh's Extra Mural School. He was elected a Fellow 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 ...

. Spittal was appointed Physician to the Queen in Scotland. He carried out research on the origins of breath sounds and how these should be interpreted by

auscultation Auscultation (based on the Latin verb ''auscultare'' "to listen") is listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope. Auscultation is performed for the purposes of examining the circulatory and respiratory systems (hea ...

. In 1840 he was living at a flat at 7 Nelson Street. In 1841 he was elected a Fellow 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 ...

. His proposer was Sir Robert Christison. He died at home 3 London StreetEdinburgh Post Office Directory 1852 in Edinburgh's Second New Town on 7 April 1852. He is buried next to his parents in

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

References

1852 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish medical doctors Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh {{Scotland-med-bio-stub