William Wood

FRCSEd 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 o ...

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 ...

(13 September 1782–3 September 1858) was a 19th-century Scottish surgeon who twice served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, twice as President of the Medico-Chirurgical Society and once as President of the Harveian Society.

Life

He was born at Horse Wynd on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh on 13 September 1782, the son of Andrew Wood. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh then studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He was licensed as a surgeon in 1805. He lived at 9 South Hanover Street and carried out his surgical practice from this address. In 1816 Wood was elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh and served as president in 1821. In 1820 he was elected a member of the Aesculapian Club. In 1822 he succeeded John Henry Wishart as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He served a second term from 1826 to 1828, being succeeded by

John Gairdner Dr John Gairdner FRCS (18 September 1790 – 12 December 1876) was a Scottish physician. Life He was the eldest son of Captain Robert Gairdner of the Bengal artillery, and brother of William Gairdner, born at Mount Charles, near Ayr, on 18 S ...

. In 1824 he 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 being Robert Graham. In 1831 he was joined by his newly qualified son, Andrew, both practicing from premises at 87 George Street in Edinburgh's New Town close to their home at 42 South Hanover Street.Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1834 He was President of the Medico-Chirurgical Society 1837–1839. He died at home, 24 Stafford Street in western Edinburgh on 3 September 1858. He is buried in Restalrig churchyard in eastern Edinburgh, beside

Alexander Wood, Lord Wood The Hon Alexander Wood of Woodcote, Lord Wood FRSE (12 November 1788 – 18 July 1864) was a 19th-century Scottish lawyer who became a Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was born on Blair Street, off the Royal Mile, Edinburgh on 12 ...

, his uncle. The grave is on the south side of the church.

Family

He married Mary Oswald Gillespie around 1805. Their sons included Dr John Gillespie Wood (1816-1875), Dr Andrew Wood and Thomas Wood (who died in

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

in 1879).

References

1782 births 1858 deaths Medical doctors from Edinburgh Scottish surgeons Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh List of Office Bearers of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh and Harveian Orations Former members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh {{Scotland-med-bio-stub