Robert Milne Murray

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 Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

FRCPE FRSSA (6 May 1855 – 14 February 1904) was a Scottish surgeon and medical author. Specialising in gynaecology he ran the Edinburgh Maternity Hospital and Simpson Memorial Hospital, He was the first medical Electrician at the

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) was established in 1729, and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest voluntary hospital in the United Kingdom, and later on, the Empire."In Comi ...

but refused to patent any of the devices which he created and instead openly showed the apparatus to vising European colleagues to be freely copied.

Life

He was born at

Fettercairn Fettercairn (, ) is a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, northwest of Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire on the B966 from Edzell. Fettercairn is also reached via the Cairn O' Mount road (B974) from Deeside. The name comes from the Scott ...

on 6 May 1855 the son of the local schoolmaster. He studied science at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

graduating with an MA around 1875. After some time assisting Prof

Matthew Forster Heddle Matthew Forster Heddle FRSE (28 April 1828 – 19 November 1897) was a Scottish physician and amateur mineralogist active through the 19th century. Life He was born at Melsetter in Orkney, the son of Robert Heddle (1780–1842) and his wife, ...

he went to the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

to study medicine graduating with an

MB ChB A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1879. He then became assistant to

John Halliday Croom Sir John Halliday Croom FRSE PRCPE PRCSE (15 January 1847 – 27 September 1923) was a Scottish surgeon and medical author. He served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Life He was born in the manse at Sanquhar in sou ...

under whom he gained much knowledge in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. In 1886 he began lecturing in midwifery and diseases of women. He was President of the Gynaecological Society of Edinburgh and Vice President of the British Gynaecological Society. He was Vice President of the

Royal Scottish Society of the Arts The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of science and technology. It was founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by David Brewster, Sir David Brewster in 18 ...

. He maintained a private laboratory at Rutland Square. In 1888 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) 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 establis ...

. His proposers were Sir Thomas Richard Fraser,

Alexander Crum Brown Alexander Crum Brown Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (26 March 1838 – 28 October 1922) was a Scottish Organic chemistry, organic chemist. Alexander Crum Brown Road in Edinburgh's King's Buildi ...

, Sir John Batty Tuke and

William Evans Hoyle Dr William Evans Hoyle FRSE (28 January 1855 – 7 February 1926) was a British zoologist. A specialist in deep sea creatures, he worked on classification and illustrations from the Challenger expedition, ''Challenger'' expedition from 1882 ...

. In 1898 he was elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

. His final years were spent at 13 Chester Street in Edinburgh's West End, a mid-terraced Victorian townhouse. He contracted pneumonia following a severe chill in November 1902. Despite retiring from active work and spending time in a Mediterranean climate the pneumonia remained. On 14 February 1904 he underwent an operation to adjust his ribs in an attempt to relieve his breathing. He died of a heart attack whilst under the anaesthetic aged 48. He was buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and o ...

on 18 February 1904. The grave lies on the northern path of the first north extension, on the edge of the north-west section.

Family

He was married to Margaret (1857 – 1937), they did not have any children.

Publications

*''Chemical Notes and Equations'' (1880) *''Post-Partum Incontinence of Urine'' (1881) *''Cessation of Respiration under Chloroform and its Restoration'' (1885) *''Physiological and Therapeutic Actions of Water at Different Temperatures'' (1886) *''Effects of Compression on the Shape of the Fetal Head'' (1888) *''Treatment of Pelvic Disease by Electricity'' (1890) *''The Axis Traction Forceps'' (1896) *''Deflection and Rotation of the Pregnant Uterus'' (1897) *''Relative Advantages of Forceps and Version'' (1896) *''Spontaneous Rupture of Uterus''

References

1855 births 1904 deaths Medical doctors from Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of St Andrews Academics of the University of Edinburgh Scottish surgeons Scottish gynaecologists Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from Fettercairn Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh {{Scotland-med-bio-stub