Figure Drawing: William Buchan Muscles of the Human Body

Sunday, April 4, 2010

William Buchan Muscles of the Human Body

These plates from the book are for sale on Ebay Click here to see them for sale on Ebay, they are from the Family Medical Library, a Treatise on the Prevention and Cure of Diseases by Regimen and Simple Medicines by William Buchan.

A Famous Border Doctor.

By Nenion Elliot, S S.C., Clerk of Teinds.

THE fact of his Border origin is not generally known, but there can be no doubt that Dr. William Buchan, of "Domestic Medicine" fame, is entitled to a high position among the celebrities of the Border country. And though his work cannot now be regarded as current literature, it may yet be safely assumed that for centuries to come, Dr. Buchan's name will be known through Burns' well-known lines in "Death and Dr. Hornbook."

"Ye ken Jock Hornbook i' the clachan,

Deil mak his king's-hood in a spleuchan !

He's grown sae weel acquant wi' Buchan

And ither chaps,

The weans haud out their ringers laughin',

And pouk my hips."

The name Buchan is not a common one on the Scottish Border, but possibly the following notice of Dr. Buchan from Chambers's " Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen," may suggest further inquiry into the family history. William Buchan, M.D., was born in 1729 at Ancrum. His grandfather had been obliged for some time to reside with his family in Holland on account of the religious troubles which preceded the Revolution—a fact which seems to show that he was an adherent of the Presbyterian Church. Buchan's father possessed a small estate in addition to which he rented a farm from the Duke of Roxburghe.

The genius of young Buchan for medicine was displayed before he could have received any adequate instruction ; and even when a schoolboy he was at once the physician and surgeon of the village. His parents designed him for the church, and he spent nine years in studying anything ratherthan theology before commencing the systematic study of medicine. After completing his medical course in Edinburgh, Buchan went to Yorkshire, where he got the appointment of physician to a Foundling Hospital, then supported by Parliament. He afterwards, on the hospital being discontinued, returned to Edinburgh and married a lady of the name of Peter. He was in Sheffield during the period 1762-66, and subsequently commenced practice in Edinburgh, where his famous work on Domestic Medicine was published in 1769. Mr. Riddell Carre, in his " Border Memories," says the year of publication was 1771, but in this he is mistaken, as there is a copy in the Advocate's Library bearing the date just mentioned—1769.

Border magazine: an illustrated monthly, Volume 2 edited by Nicholas Dickson, William Sanderson

Dr William Buchan (1729–1805) and his Domestic medicine

William Buchan was born in Ancram in Roxburghshire in 1729 where his father had a small estate.1 Even during his school days he acted as amateur doctor to the village. In about 1749, he went to Edinburgh to study divinity, supporting himself by teaching mathematics to fellow students. Changing to the study of medicine under the elder Gregory, he qualified around 1758. The following year he was appointed as the first surgeon and apothecary to a branch of the Foundling Hospital that had opened that year in Ackworth, Yorkshire. His salary was £42 a year, exclusive of his board and his horse! This post provided him with great experience in the care of children. While there, Buchan wrote his MD dissertation for Edinburgh UniversityOn the preservation of infant life (1761). His stay at Ackworth ended abruptly when Parliament discontinued its financial support for the Foundling Hospital. Thereafter, he practised for some years in Sheffield before returning to Edinburgh in 1766 (fig1). Besides continuing to practise, he gave lectures on natural philosophy, which were very popular and drew large classes. In 1769 he published his great work, Domestic medicine or the family physician, 2 the first work of its kind. It sold for just 6 shillings. Its success was immediate, and 80 000 copies from the 19 English editions were sold during his lifetime. In addition, it was translated into all the main European languages including Russian. Indeed the Empress of Russia was so pleased with it that she sent Buchan a letter of commendation and a gold medal.

ADC Fetal and Neonatal Edition