Robert Spittal MD FRSE (c.1800–1852) was a 19th-century Scottish physician and amateur botanist.

Life

1 and 3 London Street, Edinburgh

Spittal was born to Marion Brown and James Spittal. The family moved to 59 South Bridge in Edinburgh's Old Town in 1810.[1]

He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and became an assistant physician at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. In 1829 he was President of the Edinburgh Plinian Natural History Society and President of the Royal Medical Society in 1833.[2]

He undertook further postgraduate studies in Germany and received his doctorate (MD) from the University of Giessen in 1838. On his return he began lecturing in Medical Acoustics at the University of Edinburgh and from 1839 also lectured at Edinburgh's Extra Mural School. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Spittal was appointed Physician to the Queen in Scotland.[2]

He carried out research on the origins of breath sounds and how these should be interpreted by auscultation.[3]

In 1840 he was living at a flat at 7 Nelson Street.[4]

In 1841 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposer was Sir Robert Christison.[2]

He died at home 3 London Street[5] in Edinburgh's Second New Town on 7 April 1852. He is buried next to his parents in Greyfriars Kirkyard.

References

  1. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1810
  2. 1 2 3 Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  3. ↑ Spittal, Robert (1838). "Experiments and Observations on the Cause of the Sounds of Respiration". The Lancet. 30 (784): 844–845. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)96145-3. PMC 5775728. PMID 30330298.
  4. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1840
  5. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1852


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