Allen Thomson

Doctors who have demonstrated the intellect, the organisation, and the drive to be successful teachers or researchers may find these attributes equally applicable to a subsequent career as a medical politician. Allen Thomson made considerable contributions to medicine as a scientist, as a teacher and as a statesman. He had the distinction of holding successive Chairs in the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Glasgow he was instrumental in ensuring the building of the new University at Gilmorehill and the building of the Western Infirmary.

Allen Thomson was the son of John Thomson, also a Fellow of the College (roll no 287). His father had successively been Professor of Military Surgery, of Medicine and of General Pathology in the University of Edinburgh. After graduating MD from Edinburgh in 1830, he travelled to Europe visiting Holland and Germany where he studied anatomical and pathological museums before returning to Edinburgh as Lecturer in Anatomy and Physiology. He became FRCSEd in 1832.

He made subsequent visits to Europe, meeting some of the foremost medical scientists of the day. In 1837 he took the unusual step of becoming Private Physician to the Duke of Bedford, before being appointed to the Chair of Anatomy in Aberdeen. From there he returned to Edinburgh in 1841 to become a teacher of Anatomy in the extra mural school and then Professor of Physiology at the University of Edinburgh. From there he succeeded to the Chair of Anatomy at the University of Glasgow which he occupied until his retirement in 1877. By the time of appointment to Glasgow, he had amassed a large collection of material for anatomical and physiological teaching which was added to the Hunterian Museum.

He published widely. In addition to publishing lectures on physiology, he was a collaborator in the Encyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology and was a collaborator on the Encyclopaedia Britannica. He was co-publisher of Quain’s Anatomy.

In his later years at Glasgow, he was entrusted with overseeing the new University buildings at Gilmore Hill and his skills as fundraiser and administrator were largely responsible for bringing this project to a successful conclusion.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1838 and of London in 1848, later becoming Vice President of that Society. He was also President of the British Association in 1876 and was honoured with the degrees of LLD from both the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.