John Chiene
Prof John Chiene CB FRSE LLD (1843-1923) was an eminent Scottish surgeon, working as Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University during some of its most influential years. He was a founder of the Edinburgh Ambulance Service.[1] The Chiene Medal is presented as an annual prize in surgery at Edinburgh University.
Life
He was born at Howard Place in Edinburgh[2] on 25 February 1843, the son of George Todd Chiene, a chartered accountant.[3] He attended Edinburgh Academy from 1854 to 1860, gaining prizes in Mathematics. Whilst here he was also a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson. He then studied medicine in various prestigious centres of learning: Paris, Berlin and Vienna before qualifying MD at Edinburgh in 1865.[4]
His first role was as a staff member at the New Town Dispensary, by then relocated from Thistle Street to 13 York Place.[5] In 1871 (with references from Joseph Lister) he moved to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as an Assistant Surgeon under Sir John Goodsir,[6] being promoted to full Surgeon in 1878.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1874, his main proposer being Sir Robert Christison.
From 1882 to 1909 he performed a critical and hugely influential role as Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University, replacing Prof James Spence in this role.[7] His candidature received letters of support both from Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur.[8] Through his teaching many major surgical advances were made which, through his many students, had a major impact around the globe. Through the 1880s his Assistant was Dr Alexander Edington. On his retirement in 1909 the faculty presented him with a bronze medal.[9]
In 1900 he is listed as living at 26 Charlotte Square, one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious addresses.[10] He was elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for 1897 to 1899. His life-long friend, Sir John Halliday Croom was also his neighbour, living at 25 Charlotte Square.[11]
In the Boer War he served as Consulting Surgeon to the Field Forces in South Africa. At this time the government then paid him the huge sum of £5000 per annum.[12]
He died in Edinburgh on 29 May 1923. He is buried in Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh, just south-west of the main entrance with his wife Elizabeth Mary Lyall (1843-1932), and children, Fanny (d.1900) and George L. Chiene FRCSE (1873-1951).
Sporting Recognition
A keen sportsman, he served as President of the Scottish Rugby Union. Also a keen golfer he was Captain of the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society and presented the Chiene Cup, originally a trophy won by golfers linked to Edinburgh University and later broadened to any member.
Publications
- Lectures on Surgical Anatomy 1878 (illustrated by Philibert Charles Berjeau)
Positions Held
- President of the Royal Medical Society 1865
- President of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) 1897-99
- Member of the Medico-Chirurgical Society
- President of the Harveian Society 1903
Taught by Chiene
Chiene’s students include many prominent surgeons:
Family
He married Elizabeth Mary Lyall in 1869.
References
- ↑ http://www.library.rcsed.ac.uk/docs/GD10_Papers_of_John_Chiene.pdf
- ↑ http://www.chiene.co.uk/About_Us/George_Todd_Chiene_and_Son.aspx
- ↑ http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb779-gd10
- ↑ https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf
- ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=avICAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR21&lpg=PR21&dq=new+town+dispensary+edinburgh&source=bl&ots=rVTSxfgi7H&sig=j5Zw1OEQ81ih2Gb0fGEK3fZAc2s&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBWoVChMIm6LkqbWryAIVRyYeCh38pA4e#v=onepage&q=new%20town%20dispensary%20edinburgh&f=false
- ↑ http://www.library.rcsed.ac.uk/docs/GD10_Papers_of_John_Chiene.pdf
- ↑ http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v112/n2802/abs/112061a0.html
- ↑ http://www.library.rcsed.ac.uk/docs/GD10_Papers_of_John_Chiene.pdf
- ↑ http://collectionsonline.nmsi.ac.uk/detail.php?type=related&kv=8095767&t=objects
- ↑ Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1900-1
- ↑ British Medical Journal: 6 October 1923: obituary of Croom
- ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8yKwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=prof+john+chiene&source=bl&ots=XtaQKEPOjM&sig=fFjK1kVM3YLpSBqU7_RE6tXSoqY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEEQ6AEwB2oVChMI2Zqu2eGtyAIVTLoUCh2ZRQc-#v=onepage&q=prof%20john%20chiene&f=false