Sir Robert Muir (5 July 1864 – 30 March 1959) was a Scottish physician and

pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

who carried out pioneering work in

immunology Immunology is a branch of biology and medicine that covers the study of Immune system, immune systems in all Organism, organisms. Immunology charts, measures, and contextualizes the Physiology, physiological functioning of the immune system in ...

, and was one of the leading figures in medical research in Glasgow in the early 20th century.

Life

He was born in

Balfron Balfron () is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is situated near Endrick Water on the A875 road, 18 miles (29 km) west of Stirling and 16 miles (26 km) north of Glasgow. Although a rural settlement, it lies within ...

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling ( ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling.Registers of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. It borders Perthshir ...

on 5 July 1864, the son of Rev Robert Muir, a United Presbyterian minister (who died when Muir was 18), and his wife, Susan Cameron Duncan. Robert was educated at

Hawick Hawick ( ; ; ) is a town in the Scottish Borders council areas of Scotland, council area and counties of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-south-east o ...

High School and Teviot Grove Academy. He then studied at 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 ...

, where he obtained an MA degree in 1884 and qualified as a medical practitioner by receiving an MB CM degree with first-class honours in 1888. After two years of research he obtained his MD degree with honours and gold medal in 1890. He became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1894 and proceeded to the Fellowship in 1895. Muir was a lecturer in bacterial pathology at Edinburgh University (1894–98), and was the first professor of

pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

at St Andrews University (Dundee) (1898–99). He spent most of his career as professor of pathology at

Glasgow University The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in post-nominals; ) is a public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ...

(1899–1936), where he became recognised as one of the world's leading authorities in pathology, especially blood cell disorders and

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

. During the period 1909 to 1911 he was assisted by

John William McNee Sir John William McNee FRSE DSO (1887-1984) was a 20th century British pathologist and bacteriologist. Life He was born on 17 December 1887 in Mount Vernon in north Lanarkshire (now part of Glasgow the only son of John McNee. The family moved ...

. On 21 June 1933, in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

, Muir gave a talk at the 64th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Medical Association. He was made LLD (Doctor of Laws) in 1937, and then served as Dean of Faculties from 1946 to 1949. In Glasgow he lived at 16 Victoria Crescent in the

Dowanhill Dowanhill is an affluent area in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. An upper middle-class residential district, the area generally contains a mixture of terraced townhouses with private communal gardens, detached villas with private grounds an ...

district. Muir was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1911, and 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 ...

in 1916. His proposers were William Smith Greenfield,

Cargill Gilston Knott Cargill Gilston Knott FRS, FRSE LLD (30 June 1856 – 26 October 1922) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was a pioneer in seismological research. He spent his early career in Japan. He later became a Fellow of the Royal Society, ...

, Arthur Robinson and

James Hartley Ashworth James Hartley Ashworth (2 May 1874 – 4 February 1936) was a British marine zoologist. Life See He was born on 2, May 1874, in Accrington in Lancashire, the only son of James Ashworth. He spent most of his early life in Burnley, attending t ...

. He served as the Society's vice president from 1950 to 1953. He was a member of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

and of the

Pathological Society The Pathological Society is a professional organization of Great Britain and Ireland whose mission is stated as 'understanding disease'. Membership and profile The membership of the society is mainly drawn from the UK and includes an internatio ...

. He was awarded the Royal Society's

Royal Medal The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal and The King's Medal (depending on the gender of the monarch at the time of the award), is a silver-gilt medal, of which three are awarded each year by the Royal Society. Two are given for "the mo ...

in 1929 (''"For his contributions to the science of immunology"''). He received many honorary degrees, including the

D.Sc. A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

in 1934. He was awarded the

Lister Medal __NOTOC__ The Lister Medal is an award presented by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in recognition of contributions to surgical science. It is named after the English surgeon Joseph Lister (1827–1912), whose work on antiseptics estab ...

in 1936 for his contributions to surgical science. The corresponding Lister Memorial Lecture, titled ''Malignancy with illustrations from the pathology of the mamma'', was published later that year. In later life, he served in several positions in the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was on the council from 1944 to 1947, and was vice-president from 1950 to 1953. In the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

, overseeing pathological and bacteriological work at Scottish hospitals. He was also inspector of laboratories in Scotland. Muir was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1934.

Last years and death

He retired in 1936 and died in 1959, at the age of 94. He never married and had no children. He is buried with his sister, artist Anne Davidson Muir, in the northern 20th-century extension to

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 ...

in western

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Publications

His publications included an early collection of papers on immunology, ''Studies in Immunity'' (1909, London, Oxford University Press), followed by ''Text-book of Pathology'' (1924). The latter, originally published by Edward Arnold, became a standard textbook in the field of pathology, and by 2008, under the imprint of Hodder Arnold Publication, it had reached a 14th edition, known as ''Muir's Textbook of Pathology''.

References

Sources

Royal Society of Edinburgh Biographical Index of Former Fellows – Part Two
(accessed 14 October 2008)
Entry for Muir in the Royal Society's Library and Archive catalogue's details of Fellows
(accessed 14 October 2008)
Biography of Muir from the University of Glasgow
– includes a picture of Muir – (accessed 14 October 2008)
Review of 1st edition of ''Text-book of Pathology''
Br Med J. 1925 April 25; 1(3356): 787–790 (accessed 14 October 2008)
Synopsis of 14th edition of ''Muir's Textbook of Pathology
(accessed 14 October 2008) *https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbm.1960.0013

External links

Obituary of Robert Muir
Br Med J. 1959 April 11; 1(5127): 976–979.
Obituary of Robert Muir 1864–1959
by Roy Cameron for the Royal Society
Personal tribute to Muir
Br Med J. 1959 April 18; 1(5128): 1050–1051. {{DEFAULTSORT:Muir, Robert 1864 births 1959 deaths People educated at Hawick High School Academics of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Glasgow Alumni of the University of Edinburgh British Army personnel of World War I Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Knights Bachelor 19th-century Scottish medical doctors 20th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish pathologists Royal Medal winners