John Murray (physician)
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Dr John Murray FRSE FGS (1778–1820) was a 19th century British medical doctor and scientist, working in the fields of physics, chemistry, and geology, and described by Brydges as a "Chemical Philiospher".[1] His first important published work, "Elements of Chemistry", appeared when he was only 23.[2]
He was born in Edinburgh in 1778 and educated at the High School. He studied medicine at St Andrews University graduating around 1798.
He appears in Edinburgh again in 1810 as a lecturer in chemistry.[3] He later also lectured in Materia Medica, Pharmacy and Natural Philosophy (Physics).
In 1812 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his contributions to geology, his proposers being Thomas Charles Hope, Robert Jameson, and Sir George Steuart Mackenzie.[4] He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1815 and was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London. He presented 28 papers to the Royal Society, the most important relating to proposals for a safety lamp for miners.[5]
He received his doctorate (MD) in 1814.
He lived at 31 Nicolson Street[6] in south Edinburgh and died there on 22 July 1820.[7]
