James Duncan (surgeon)

Dr James Duncan FRSE FRCS FRCSE (1810-1866) was a Scottish surgeon and manufacturing chemist responsible for much of the British supply of chloroform in the mid 19th century. From 1839 to 1866 he was Director of Duncan Flockhart & Co one of Scotland’s largest chemical manufacturers.

He was born in Perth on 2 November 1810, the son of John Duncan (b.1780) founder of Duncan Flockhart & Co. He was sent to the High School in Edinburgh to be educated. In 1833 his father’s company moved from Perth to Edinburgh, with premises at 52 North Bridge with the family living at 1 Blenheim Place at the top of Leith Walk.

Meanwhile James was completing his study of Medicine at Edinburgh University graduating MD in 1834. Due to his rich father his postgraduate studies leading to his MD included studies in France, Germany, Austria and Italy.

Around 1839 his father died and James became the new owner and director of Duncan of Duncan Flockhart & Co. He purchased a house a 7 Dundas Street in the Second New Town. James was by then already acting as Senior Surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and also had his own consultancy within the New Town Dispensary. In 1839 the firm began to manufacture lactucarium, and from 1847 became the main British manufacturer of Chloroform, supplying to surgeons such as Sir James Simpson and to dentists such as Francis Brodie Imlach . The firm expanded, building new premises in London and supplied chloroform to both the British Army and Royal Navy.

In 1857 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposer being James David Forbes. By his final years James was living at 12 Heriot Row, one of the largest and most prestigious houses in the city.

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