Christison Lecture Notes

Student notes on lectures on medical jurisprudence by Sir Robert Christison at the University of Edinburgh, 1831.

Christison, Sir Robert, first baronet (1797-1882), toxicologist and physician, was born in Edinburgh on 18 July 1797, born to Alexander Christison (d. 1820), a master at Edinburgh high school, and later professor of Latin at Edinburgh, and his wife, Margaret Johnstone. Christison was first educated at the high school, Edinburgh (1805-1809/1810), where one of his teachers was James Pillans. A promising student, Christison completed the Edinburgh University arts course, taking additional lectures in chemistry and botany, graduating MA in 1815. His first choice of profession was civil engineering but cautious paternal opinion on the paucity of eminent teachers in that discipline at that time led him into medicine, which he began to study in November 1815. After walking the wards in his second year of study, Christison was thrust into hospital duties as physician's assistant (resident physician) to Dr Spens at Edinburgh Infirmary in 1817, thus gaining an early advantage in practical knowledge. Christison graduated MD in 1819 with the intention of becoming a physician. Christison then obtained instruction in the surgical wards under John Abernethy and William Lawrence in London, and G Dupuytren in Paris. His main course of study in Paris was analytical chemistry, under E W Robiquet. He attended F Magendie's lectures on poisons and, before returning to Edinburgh in 1821, heard one lecture delivered by the eminent toxicologist M J B Orfila, then professor of medical jurisprudence at Paris. In 1822 Christison was appointed to the regius chair of medical jurisprudence and medical police (forensic medicine and public health) at Edinburgh at the age of twenty-five. Christison was still in Paris when the chair fell vacant in April 1821, and his brother, John Christison (d. 1862), canvassed on his behalf. Regius chairs lay within the gift of the government, and the tory government of the day was in no hurry to fill the vacancy. Eventually, John Christison triumphed by using the political leverage of a family friend, Sir George Warrender. As a boy pupil in the Christison household, Warrender had, perforce, assisted at the twins'

Christison then obtained instruction in the surgical wards under John Abernethy and William Lawrence in London, and G Dupuytren in Paris. His main course of study in Paris was analytical chemistry, under E W Robiquet. He attended F Magendie's lectures on poisons and, before returning to Edinburgh in 1821, heard one lecture delivered by the eminent toxicologist M J B Orfila, then professor of medical jurisprudence at Paris. In 1822 Christison was appointed to the regius chair of medical jurisprudence and medical police (forensic medicine and public health) at Edinburgh at the age of twenty-five. Christison was still in Paris when the chair fell vacant in April 1821, and his brother, John Christison (d. 1862), canvassed on his behalf. Regius chairs lay within the gift of the government, and the tory government of the day was in no hurry t

In 1822 Christison was appointed to the regius chair of medical jurisprudence and medical police (forensic medicine and public health) at Edinburgh at the age of twenty-five. Christison was still in Paris when the chair fell vacant in April 1821, and his brother, John Christison (d. 1862), canvassed on his behalf. Regius chairs lay within the gift of the government, and the tory government of the day was in no hurry to fill the vacancy. Eventually, John Christison triumphed by using the political leverage of a family friend, Sir George Warrender. As a boy pupil in the Christison household, Warrender had, perforce, assisted at the twins' untimely birth. In return for a political favour, Warrender persuaded Lord Melville, the fount of Scottish patronage, to appoint Robert Christison. The chair, having been excluded from the medical faculty since its foundation in 1807, languished in obscurity. Christison's initial class sizes were small, consisting mainly of young lawyers, and numbers fell from twelve students to one in the first three years. During that time Christison mastered the few medico-legal works written in English and French and taught himself German. In 1823 he set his sights on a career specializing in toxicology when, with his colleague J F Coindet, he published 'An experimental inquiry on poisoning by oxalic acid'. Christison began to appear in court as a defence witness, but his ability to highlight defective crown medical testimony and his presence in the witness box soon forced the solicitor-general to make him a crown medical witness. In 1825, Christison successfully petitioned the university to include medical jurisprudence as an optional subject for medical degrees. Christison discarded the chair's public health component to give more time to medico-legal teaching. This allowed him to broaden the medical knowledge of legal students and to equip medical students with sufficient medico-legal knowledge to escape the worst perils of legal casuistry in all courts of law. With James Syme and Thomas Traill, Christison produced the standard work on post-mortem procedure in Scotland, 'The Medico-Legal Examination of Dead Bodies', published in 1839 at the request of the lord advocate. Christison's first notable trial (1826) was that of Mrs Smith for poisoning her husband with arsenic, but he achieved public recognition with the case of the body snatchers Burke and Hare, in 1829. His work connected with this case on identifying injuries inflicted before and immediately after death entailed practical application in the mortuary. Christison published medico-legal details of his more important cases. His 'Treatise on Poisons' (1829) became a standard work in English and was translated into German in 1831. Christison became medical adviser to the Standard Life Assurance Company, founded in 1825. He took this aspect of legal medicine seriously enough to introduce into his medical jurisprudence course lectures on the responsibility of doctors when medically examining a person whose life was to be insured. Lectures included life tables and possible pitfalls for the unobservant doctor. Ch

In 1825, Christison successfully petitioned the university to include medical jurisprudence as an optional subject for medical degrees. Christison discarded the chair's public health component to give more time to medico-legal teaching. This allowed him to broaden the medical knowledge of legal students and to equip medical students with sufficient medico-legal knowledge to escape the worst perils of legal casuistry in all courts of law. With James Syme and Thomas Traill, Christison produced the standard work on post-mortem procedure in Scotland, 'The Medico-Legal Examination of Dead Bodies', published in 1839 at the request of the lord advocate. Christison's first notable trial (1826) was that of Mrs Smith for poisoning her husband with arsenic, but he achieved public recognition with the case of the body snatchers Burke and Hare, in 1829. His work connected with this case on identifying injuries inflicted before and immediately after death entailed practical application in the mortuary. Christison published medico-legal details of his more important cases. His 'Treatise on Poisons' (1829) became a standard work in English and was translated into German in 1831. Christison became medical adviser to the Standard Life Assurance Company, founded in 1825. He took this aspect of legal me

Christison's first notable trial (1826) was that of Mrs Smith for poisoning her husband with arsenic, but he achieved public recognition with the case of the body snatchers Burke and Hare, in 1829. His work connected with this case on identifying injuries inflicted before and immediately after death entailed practical application in the mortuary. Christison published medico-legal details of his more important cases. His 'Treatise on Poisons' (1829) became a standard work in English and was translated into German in 1831. Christison became medical adviser to the Standard Life Assurance Company, founded in 1825. He took this aspect of legal medicine seriously enough to introduce into his medical jurisprudence course lectures on the responsibility of doctors when medically examining a person whose life was to be insured. Lectures included life tables and possible pitfalls for the unobservant doctor. Christison provided Standard Life with mortality figures for its annual reports. He also gave evidence in the earl of Mar opium-taking trial. On 20 October 1827 Christison married Henrietta Sophia Brown (d. 1849), daughter of David Brown, of Greenknowe, Stirling. The marriage produced three sons, Alexander, who served in the Bengal army as deputy surgeon-general, David, an Edinburgh medical practitioner, and John, writer to the signet and secretary of Edinburgh University court. In 1832, on the death of Andrew Duncan the younger, Christison resigned his chair of medical jurisprudence and was elected to the chair of materia medica and therapeutics. On Christison's acceptance of the chair the university finally admitted medical jurisprudence and medical police to the medical faculty and curriculum. As professor of materia medica, Christison's major publications were 'On Granular Degeneration of the Kidnies' (1839) and 'A Dispensatory on the Pharmacopoeias of Great Britain' (1842). He continued his researches in toxicology and remained a crown medical witness until 1866, publishing more medico-legal papers than strictly materia medica papers during his professorship. He was elected president of all student societies and clubs. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh twice elected Christison as president (1838-1840 and 1846-1848). Following the Medical Act of 1858 the crown selected Christison to represent the Scottish medical profession on the newly constituted General Medical Council, on which he served until 1873. He was elected president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1868 to 1873 and was physician-in-ordinary to the queen in Scotland. He was created a baronet in 1871. In 1872 Robert Christison celebrated his golden jubilee as a professor. The university gave a banquet in his honour. In 1877 Christison resigned the chai

In 1832, on the death of Andrew Duncan the younger, Christison resigned his chair of medical jurisprudence and was elected to the chair of materia medica and therapeutics. On Christison's acceptance of the chair the university finally admitted medical jurisprudence and medical police to the medical faculty and curriculum. As professor of materia medica, Christison's major publications were 'On Granular Degeneration of the Kidnies' (1839) and 'A Dispensatory on the Pharmacopoeias of Great Britain' (1842). He continued his researches in toxicology and remained a crown medical witness until 1866, publishing more medico-legal papers than strictly materia medica papers during his professorship. He was elected president of all student societies and clubs. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh twice elected Christison as president (1838-1840 and 1846-1848). Following the Medical Act of 1858 the crown selected Christison to represent the Scottish medical profession on the newly constituted General Medical Council, on which he served until 1873. He was elected president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1868 to 1873 and was physician-in-ordinary to the queen in Scotland. He was created a baronet in 1871. In 1872 Robert Christison celebrated his golden jubilee as a professor. The university gave a banquet in his honour. In 1877 Christison resigned the chair of mat

He was elected president of all student societies and clubs. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh twice elected Christison as president (1838-1840 and 1846-1848). Following the Medical Act of 1858 the crown selected Christison to represent the Scottish medical profession on the newly constituted General Medical Council, on which he served until 1873. He was elected president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1868 to 1873 and was physician-in-ordinary to the queen in Scotland. He was created a baronet in 1871. In 1872 Robert Christison celebrated his golden jubilee as a professor. The university gave a banquet in his honour. In 1877 Christison resigned the chair of materia medica, aged eighty, due to ill health. Christison died from cancer of the omentum at his home, 40 Moray Place, Edinburgh, on 27 January 1882. He was buried in the new Calton cemetery, Edinburgh on 2 February. His son, Alexander, succeeded to the title.y gave a banquet in his honour. <br /> In秘ᵁ«ꀠ৊ཀষtison, Sir Robert, first baronet (1797-1882), toxicologist and physician, was born in Edinburgh on 18 July 1797, born to Alexander Christison (d. 1820), a master at Edinburgh high school, and later professor of Latin at Edinburgh, and his wife, Margaret Johnstone. Christison was f

In 1877 Christison resigned the chair of materia medica, aged eighty, due to ill health. Christison died from cancer of the omentum at his home, 40 Moray Place, Edinburgh, on 27 January 1882. He was buried in the new Calton cemetery, Edinburgh on 2 February. His son, Alexander, succeeded to the title.

Open

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Transferred from Medical Sciences Library, 30 Aug 1985. Found in Medical Sciences Library, presumably part of Roger's Library.

Collection level description