John Elliotson

John Elliotson
John Elliotson
Born29 October 1791
Died29 July 1868(1868-07-29) (aged 76)
London
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
Known forMesmerism, Phrenology, The Zoist, introducing stethoscope to United Kingdom
Scientific career
FieldsMedicine

John Elliotson (29 October 1791 – 29 July 1868), M.D. (Edinburgh, 1810),[1] M.D.(Oxford, 1821), F.R.C.P.(London, 1822), F.R.S. (1829), professor of the principles and practice of medicine at University College London (1832), senior physician to University College Hospital (1834)[2] — and, in concert with William Collins Engledue M.D., the co-editor of The Zoist.

Elliotson was a prolific and influential author, a respected teacher, and renowned for his diagnostic skills as a clinician and, especially, his extremely strong prescriptions: "his students said that one should let him diagnose but not treat the patient".[3]

He was always at the 'leading edge' of his profession: he was one of the first in Britain to use and promote the stethoscope,[4] and one of the first to use acupuncture.[5]

  1. ^ Elliotson's doctoral dissertation "On Inflammation", was self-published in Edinburgh in 1810: see Elliotson, Joannes, Dissertatio medica inauguralis de inflammatione communi, Abernathy & Walker, (Edinburgh), 1810.
  2. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Elliotson, John". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 291.
  3. ^ Gauld (2004).
  4. ^ Rosen (1936), p.601.
  5. ^ Elliotson (1827); Elliotson (1832).