William Pultney Alison

Biographical Summary

Alison, William Pulteney. ?-22/09/1859. Ref: 33. Male.

• Place of Birth: Boroughmuirhead, Edinburgh.
• Place of Death: Colinton, Edinburgh.
• Place of interment: St John's, Princes St, Edinburgh.
• Profession: Physician and Philanthropist.
• Appointments Held: Physician 1814, New Town Dispensary, Professor 1820-1, Medical Jurisprudence, 1822-42 Institutes of Medicine, 1842-56 Theory of Physic, Edinburgh University.
• Undergraduate Studies: Arts and medicine at Edinburgh.
• Postgraduate Studies: MD (Edinburgh 1811), DCL (Hon Oxon 1852).
• Mother: Dorothea Gregory.
• Father: Eldest son of Rev Archibald Alison FRSE 1757-1839.
• Siblings: Archibald Alison FRSE 1792-1867.
• Other Family: Uncle Professor James Gregory FRSE 1753-1821, Cousin Professor William Gregory FRSE 1803-58.
• References: DNB 1, 1885, 290-2; Proc Roy Soc Edinb, 4, 1857-62, 217-222; Shapin 8; S Devlin-Thorp Scotland's Cultural Heritage, 1, 1981; W P Anderson 1931, 723.
• Memberships: FRCPE (President 1836-8), FSA (Scot), Medico-Chirurgical Society (Presdient 1833).
• Date of Election: 27/01/1817.
• Proposers: T C Hope, Sir G S Mackenzie, Henry Mackenzie (Minute 02/12/1816 NLS Acc10,000/4 & ms Proposal, undated Acc10,000/42).
• Service to the RSE: Councillor (Physical) 1827-8, Councillor 1828-30, 1839-41, Vice-President 1848-59.
• Notes: Born 1790. One of the first to stress the relationship between poverty and disease.
• Fellow Type: OF.

William was part of a medical dynasty which included his grandfather, great grandfather, and others.

SOURCE: Waterston, Charles D; Macmillan Shearer, A (July 2006). Biographical index of former fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783-2002: Biographical Index. I. Edinburgh: The Royal Society of Edinburgh. ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5. page 15

Other References

• Wikipedia contributors. "William Alison." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.