Sir John Rose Cormack

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soc ...

FRCP (1 March 1815 – 13 May 1882) was a Scottish physician and medical journalist. He established several notable British journals: the ''Edinburgh Monthly Journal of Medical Science''; the ''London Medical Journal''; and the ''Associated Medical Journal'' (a predecessor of the ''

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Orig ...

'').

Life

He was born in Stow in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Loth ...

on 1 March 1815, the son of Helen Rose, sister of Sir John Rose of Holm, and local minister, Rev John Cormack DD. He attended the

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and then studied medicine 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 ...

graduating with an MD in 1837, having won the Harveian Prize in 1836 and a gold medal in 1837 for his thesis on the presence of air (oxygen) in the organs of circulation. Following graduation he visited

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and then did a tour of both Italy and

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before returning to Edinburgh to set up as a physician. He was appointed Physician to the

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest ...

in 1841 and in the same month founded the Edinburgh Monthly Journal of Medical Science. During this time he also operated a Dispensary from 131

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. In 1843, he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

; his proposer being Sir Robert Christison. In 1847, he moved to

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and founded both the ''London Medical Journal'' and the ''Associated Medical Journal''. In 1858, he moved to

, France, heading the Hertford British Hospital in that city. In the

Siege of Paris (1870–1871) The siege of Paris took place from 19 September 1870 to 28 January 1871 and ended in the capture of the city by forces of the various states of the North German Confederation, led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The siege was the culmination of the ...

he showed exemplary effort tending the English and French wounded, often from his own house on Rue D’Agnesseau, the French government awarding him a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in consequence, and a French MD degree. His pupils included Dr John Francis Sutherland. He was knighted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

in 1872 for the same role.

Family

He married Eliza Anne Hine in 1842 and they had seven daughters and four sons, four daughters and one son surviving him. One son, Dr Baillie Cormack, assisted him during the Siege of Paris and died in 1876.''

'': obituary: 20 May 1882

Freemasonry

Cormack was a Scottish Freemason. He was Initiated in Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No. 2, on 30 November 1835. The entry in the Lodge's records state that he was 'M.D. Paris.'History of the Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No.2, compiled from the records 1677-1888
By Alan MacKenzie. 1888. p. 239

Death

He died of chronic disease of the prostate and bladder at his home on Rue St Honore in

on 13 May 1882.

Positions held

*Senior President to the Edinburgh Royal Medical Society, 1837-

Publications

*Translation of Georges Phillipe Trousseau’s ''Clinical Lectures'' (four volumes)

References

External links

Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No.2, (Edinburgh)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cormack, John Rose 1815 births 1882 deaths 19th-century Scottish medical doctors Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from the Scottish Borders Scottish Freemasons Medical journal editors