John Chiene was born in Edinburgh, the son of a chartered accountant. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy and then began his medical studies at Edinburgh University. In 1860 he travelled to Paris, Berlin and Vienna to study further before graduating MD with Honours from Edinburgh in 1865. He then became another of James Syme's House Surgeons and, like Joseph Bell , he demonstrated in Anatomy under John Goodsir . He was associated too with Joseph Lister whose principles he carefully followed.
"Honest John" Chiene succeeded James Spence as Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University and held the chair from 1882 till 1909. He was an excellent lecturer, noted for the soundness and clarity of his teaching. When William Mayo visited the College in 1907, he said of Chiene that, as a lecturer, ‘he was probably not excelled by any man in Great Britain’.
He instituted a small laboratory at the Royal Infirmary for the examination of pathological and bacteriological specimens, probably the first such laboratory in Britain. He was also a pioneer of the Edinburgh Ambulance Service.
During the Boer War, he was consulting surgeon to HM Forces in South Africa.
Harold Stiles was one of his pupils, being his House Surgeon and University assistant for nine years.
Chiene had a cheerful, friendly, jocular disposition and was a good sportsman, excelling at cricket and rugby. He was the first President of the Scottish Rugby Union. He presented the Chiene Cup to the Royal Colleges' Golf Club which is played for annually at Luffness Golf Club.
He was President of the College from 1897 to 1899.
