Prof Robert Stevenson Thomson

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 ...

FFPSG (1858–1905) was a 19th-century British physician.

Life

He was born in

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

to Scots parents. His father was a civil engineer and Robert's name appears a homage to the engineer

Robert Stevenson Robert Stevenson may refer to: * Robert Stevenson (actor and politician) (1915–1975), American actor and politician * Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) (1772–1850), Scottish lighthouse engineer * Robert Stevenson (director) (1905–1986), Engl ...

. The family spent much time in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in Russia during his early years. Here he learnt both German and Russian before returning to Britain to his father's home town of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. Robert was then educated at

Glasgow Academy The Glasgow Academy is a coeducational independent day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2016, it had the third-best Higher level exam results in Scotland. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest continuously fully independent ...

before studying Medicine at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

gaining a general degree first (1880) before qualifying MB CM in 1882. He had practical experience at Glasgow Western Infirmary before becoming Resident Physician at the Belvidere Fever Hospital. He then undertook a year's postgraduate study in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

before returning to Glasgow as House physician under Dr James Finlayson. In 1887/8 he transferred to the City Smallpox Hospital and remained there until death. He also began assisting Prof

Samson Gemmell Samson Gemmell FRFPS (1848 – 2 April 1913) was a Scottish paediatrician who became Regius Professor of Practice of Medicine at the University of Glasgow. Life Gemmell was born in Catrine in 1848 and was educated at Glasgow High School. He a ...

teaching at the Anderson College. When Gemmell went to

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

as Professor of Clinical Medicine in 1899, Thomson replaced him at the Anderson College as Professor of Systematic Medicine. He received his doctorate (MD) in 1897 and received the Bellahouston gold medal for his thesis. In 1900 he was living at 3 Melrose Street in Glasgow: a three-storey and basement 19th century terraced townhouse. In 1901 Glasgow University gave him a second doctorate (DSc). 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 ...

in 1902. His proposers were

John Gray McKendrick John Gray McKendrick FRS FRSE FRCPE LLD (12 August 1841 – 2 January 1926) was a distinguished Scottish physiologist. He was born and studied in Aberdeen, Scotland, and served as Regius Professor of Physiology at the University of Glasgow fr ...

Magnus Maclean Prof Magnus Maclean FRSE MIEE MICE LLD (1857-1937) was an electrical engineer who assisted Lord Kelvin in his electrical experiments and later became Professor of Electrical Engineering in Glasgow (one of the first to hold such a title). The Magnu ...

, John Souttar McKendrick and

Andrew Freeland Fergus Dr Andrew Freeland Fergus FRSE LLD (1858–1932) was a Scottish ophthalmic surgeon. He was President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Glasgow, President of the Chirurgical Society, President of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, and ...

. By 1904 he was living at 12 Blythswood Square in central Glasgow.Glasgow Post Office directory, 1904 He died in February 1905 probably of smallpox or a smallpox related disease.

Family

He was married but had no children.

References

1858 births 1905 deaths People educated at the Glasgow Academy Alumni of the University of Glasgow Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh {{UK-med-bio-stub