William Cullen
| William Cullen | |
|---|---|
William Cullen
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| Born | 15 April 1710 Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Died |
5 February 1790 (aged 79) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Fields | Medicine, Chemistry, Agriculture |
| Alma mater |
University of Glasgow University of Edinburgh |
| Notable students | Joseph Black, Benjamin Rush, John Walker, John Morgan, George Fordyce, William Withering, John Haygarth, John Moore, John Brown, Robert Willan, Sir Gilbert Blane, John Coakley Lettsom |
| Known for | Teaching at the Edinburgh Medical School, author of popular medical textbook First Lines of the Practice of Physic, Scottish Enlightenment figure and mentor to Joseph Black |
William Cullen FRS FRSE FRCPE FPSG (/ˈkʌlən/; 15 April 1710 – 5 February 1790) was a Scottish physician, chemist and agriculturalist, and one of the most important professors at the Edinburgh Medical School, during its heyday as the leading center of medical education in the English-speaking world.
Cullen was also a central figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. He was David Hume's physician and friend, and on intimate terms with Adam Smith, Lord Kames (with whom he discussed theoretical and practical aspects of husbandry), Joseph Black, John Millar, and Adam Ferguson, among others.
He was President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (1746–47), President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1773–1775) and First Physician to the King in Scotland (1773–1790). He was also, incidentally, one of the prime movers in obtaining a royal charter for the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, resulting in the formation of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783.
Cullen was a beloved teacher, and many of his students became influential figures in their own right. His best-known students—many of whom continued to correspond with him during his long life—included (in addition to Joseph Black, who became his colleague) Benjamin Rush, a central figure in the founding of the United States of America; John Morgan, who founded the first medical school in the American colonies (the Medical School at the College of Philadelphia);William Withering, the discoverer of digitalis; Sir Gilbert Blane, medical reformer of the Royal Navy; and John Coakley Lettsom, the philanthropist and founder of the Medical Society of London.
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