| Administrative History | Jonathan Troup (c.1764-1799), physician, of Aberdeen, Scotland and Dominica, West Indies. See MS 2070: Journal of Jonathan Troup, 1788-1790. |
| Description | Minute book of the Aberdeen Medical Society. Contents include:
1798
2 January: 1st dissertation: Resussitation [sic], Mr. Alexander; 2nd dissertation: Inflammation, Mr. McAsgill.
President: Mr. Keith.
The election of the ordinary Presidents, Secretary and Librarian took place at this meeting.
16 January: 'Mr. Keith presented to the Society the 2' Vol. of the Medical Museum from Mr. J. Troup'.
23 January: Copy of letter, written in Latin, from Jonathan Troup.
30 January: 'Physical Essays on the parts of the human body and animal economy' gifted by J. Troup and reference made to Encyclopedia Britannica. [Also see minute of 6 March 1798.]
20 February: Rheumatism; 'Paracentesis of the Abdomen'.
Election of two ordinary Presidents.
6 March: Various volumes presented to Society by Samuel Miller including Willis's 'Pharmaceutice Rationalis'. [Also see minute of 13 March for books presented by Mr. McAuley.]
27 March: Election of office-bearers.
3 April: 1st dissertation: Continued Fever, Mr. Nimmo; 2nd dissertation: 'De Cortice Peruviano', Mr. Millar.
President: Mr. Alexander.
10 April: 'Mr. Alexander then made a motion that as of late there were so many members gone away and so few remained the second discourses should be laid aside for some time which motion was unanimously agreed to'. [Also see minute of 11 September.]
1 May: List of books presented to Society including 'Rollo on Diabetes' and 'Gregory's Economy of Nature', the latter presented by James McGrigor.
10 July: Measles
'...Mr. Edmonston delivered his discourse on measles which he divided into the definition, symptoms, causes, prognosis, diagnosis and cure after which he gave some cautions for those recovering out of the disease, all which he treated with great accuracy...'.
14 August: Asthma
President: Mr. Miller; Speaker: Mr. Duthie
Mr. Arthur Edmonston, late President to the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, proposed as extraordinary member.
[No minutes were recorded between the 20 August and the 4 September.]
11 September: Copy of letter from Dr. James Clark thanking Society for electing him an honorary member: 'Upwards of thirty years ago I endeavoured while a Student of Physic in this town, to establish a Medical Society on nearly a similar though more contracted plan, and our meetings were pretty well attended during my time, but it was as I understand entirely dropped soon after...'.
2 October: Apoplexy
President: Mr. McCaskill; Speaker: Mr. Alexander.
Election of office bearers with Messrs. McAulay and Selbie elected ordinary Presidents, Mr. Selbie re-elected Librarian and Treasurer and Mr. Elphinstone elected Secretary.
20 November: 'Some observations on fever'; 'On the bile'.
President: Mr. Selbie; Speakers: Mr. Scorgie and Mr. Gordon.
Note of books given to Society by Messrs. Stewart and Bruce and brought from London by McGrigor.
11 December: 'Mr. Brown then stood up and presented a Guinea to the Society, which he had received from Mr. McGregor for the purpose of assisting to procure the Anatomica Brittanica, which he thought would be a valuable acquisition to the Society's library, and as the Society's funds were not very great, he thought that a subscription should be set on foot [sic], amongst the Honorary and Extraordinary members, which was agreed to'.
14 December: List of questions posed by committee appointed to examine Mr. Sutherland, proposed as ordinary member. [Also see minute of 22 December.]
18 December: Mr. Millar delivered a discourse on abortion, Mr. Scorgie read an after dissertation for the second time on gunshot wounds and Mr. Anderson read a discourse for the first time on measles. Mr. Scorgie then read a case of obstructed menstruation. Note of two books donated to Society by Mr. Edmonstone including Chapman on the Venereal Disease.
1799
22 January: Mr. Forrest delivered a discourse on rheumatism, Mr. Anderson read a second dissertation on fractures and Mr. Melles read a first discourse on anasarca to be discussed at the next meeting. 'Mr. Selbie then read over the different parts of osteology, which the committee appointed last week for that purpose, had alloted to each member'. [Mr. Selbie began the osteological demonstrations at the meeting held on the 26 January with a dissertation on the bones.]
25 March: The Committee appointed to assign members to speak on particular 'soft parts' met, each member to 'take notice of the different diseases and other particulars relating to each part'. [List included in minute. Also see minute of 20 April 1799.]
[Some of the dates for May are entered incorrectly as April.]
14 May: Mr. Elphinstone read a discourse on leucorrhoea and Mr. Milne read an after dissertation on bloodletting 'which he divided into general and topical, describing the manner of performing the operation in the arm, foot and jugular vein, and concluded with taking notice of Arteriotomy and the danger attending the operation'.
4 June: A dissertation on anasarca was read by Mr. Grant (1 page) and an after dissertation on the cesarean operation was read by Mr. Alexander. The election of Presidents also took place at this meeting, with Messrs. Selbie and Burnett elected.
30 July: Mr. Watt delivered a dissertation on cholera morbus and Mr. Milne a paper on the measles, the latter referring to Dr. Cullen's opinions on this subject and promoting the use of bloodletting and blisters during the disease and expectorants after the common course of the disease had finished.
A list of the rules enacted during the period covered in the minutes is recorded at the end of the volume. |