Alexander Russell (c. 1715 – 25 November 1768) was a Scottish

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and naturalist, spending 14 years at the English factory in

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

Early life

Russell was born in Edinburgh in 1715, the son of lawyer John Russell. He was the half-brother of Patrick Russell He was educated at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...

, and after graduating with an MD, went to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in about 1734.

Aleppo

Russell sailed to

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

in 1740, having been appointed physician to the English factory there. He became the city's chief medical practitioner, through gaining the confidence of the local

pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignita ...

. In 1754 he returned to England and two years later published his ''Natural History of Aleppo'', with a diary of the progress of the plague in 1742–1744. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemati ...

in 1756.

St Thomas's Hospital, London

In 1759 he was elected to fill a vacancy at

St Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS ...

in London. He remained in that role until his death on 25 November 1768.

Publications

Russell's written works include: *Testamen Medicum et Medicastrorum audacitate. Edin. 1709, 8vo. *'' The Natural History of Aleppo''. Lond. 1756, 4to. 2d edition revised, enlarged, and illustrated with Notes, by his brother, Patrick Russell, M.D. Lond. 1794, 2 vols. 4to. This valuable history has been translated into different European languages. *Of a remarkable Marine Production. Phil. Trans. 1762, Abr. xi. 635. Vorticella Ovifera Lin. *Letter describing the Scammony Plant. Med. Obs. And Inq. i. p. 12, 1755. *Account of two Paralytic Cases. Ib. p. 296. *Cases of Lues Venerea cured by a solution of Corrosive Sublimate. Ib. ii. p. 88. *Of several Hydatids discharged with the Urine. Ib. iii. p. 146. 1767. *Experiments made with the Decoction of Mezereon in Venereal Nodes. Ib. p. 189. *Case of almost universal Emphysema. Ib. p. 397. *An Essay on his Character. Lond. 1770, 4to.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Alexander 1710s births 1768 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish naturalists 18th-century Scottish people 18th-century Scottish medical doctors Fellows of the Royal Society