Lectures of Professor John Wyllie (1844-1916)

The collection consists of lectures on medicine given at Edinburgh University by Wyllie, 1906-1907, at Gen. 558-559D, and lectures on the practice of medicine, 1899-1900, at Dk.5.36-37.

John Wyllie was born in Ratho, Midlothian, in 1844. He was educated at Bolton in East Lothian, and at the Edinburgh Institute. Wyllie studied at Edinburgh University and in Paris, and was awarded the degree of M.D. in 1865. That year too he became Resident Physician at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. In 1866 he was House Physician to the General Hospital, Birmingham, and then in 1868 he became a general practitioner in Selkirk, Scotland. By 1871, Wyllie was lecturing in Pathology in Edinburgh, then lecturing in Medicine from 1878, and in Clinical Medicine from 1882. He was Consulting Physician to the City Hospital for Fevers, 1896-1900. In 1900, he was appointed Professor of Medicine and of Clinical Medicine. He retired in 1914. Latterly, Wyllie was the Principal Medical Officer to the Scottish Equitable Assurance Company. Professor John Wyllie died on 25 January 1916.

One of Wyllie's students was John Parton Berry who earned the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Berry became registered on 19 October 1907 and based himself in Keighley, Yorkshire. Berry was for a time House Surgeon at the East Suffolk Hospital, Ipswich, and during the First World War was a Surgeon in the Royal Navy. For most of his medical career however, he was a Consultant Physician at the Victoria Hospital in Keighley, Yorkshire. John Parton Berry had also been a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. By 1950, Berry had retired.

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

Wyllie's lectures taken down by Berry were received from the Medical Dean's Office, Edinburgh University, in January 1962, Accession no. E62.8.

The biographical/administrative history was compiled using the following material: (1) Who was who 1916-1928. A companion to Who's who.... London: Adam and Charles Black, 1962. (2) For information about John Parton Berry. The medical register. Various volumes 1908-1950. London: Constable and Co. (3) The medical directory. Various volumes 1909-1950. London: J. and A. Churchill Ltd.

Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections Division

Important finding aids generally are: the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives, consisting of typed slips in sheaf binders and to which additions were made until 1987; and the Index to Accessions Since 1987.

The UK National Register of Archives (NRA), updated by the Historical Manuscripts Commission, notes: lecture notes, 1909-1910, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Ref. Wyllie NRA 16015 Coll of Physicians.