William Rutherford (20 April 1839, Ancrum Craig,

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh () is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the northwest, and Berwickshire to the north. T ...

– 21 February 1899, 14 Douglas Crescent, Edinburgh) was a Scottish physician and physiologist. For 25 years he was professor of physiology 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 ...

, and contributed to the development of experimental physiology. He was Fullerian Professor of Physiology and Comparative Anatomy from 1872 to 1875.

Life

Rutherford was born at Ancrum Craig Farm near Ancrum in Roxburghshire, the son of Elizabeth (née Bunyan) Thomas Rutherford, a farmer and landowner. He was educated at

Jedburgh Jedburgh ( ; ; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire. History Jedburgh began as ''Jedworð'', the "worth" or enclosed settlem ...

Grammar School then studied medicine at the

, gaining his doctorate (MD) in 1863. After studying in

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, and

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, he became assistant to John Hughes Bennett, professor of physiology at the University of Edinburgh. After the Edinburgh anatomist John Goodsir told Bennett about the new experimental physiology in Germany, William Rutherford and the ophthalmologist Douglas Argyll Robertson became the first in the United Kingdom to instruct students in the use of the apparatus of

Hermann von Helmholtz Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (; ; 31 August 1821 – 8 September 1894; "von" since 1883) was a German physicist and physician who made significant contributions in several scientific fields, particularly hydrodynamic stability. The ...

Emil du Bois-Reymond Emil Heinrich du Bois-Reymond (7 November 1818 – 26 December 1896) was a German physiologist, the co-discoverer of nerve action potential, and the developer of experimental electrophysiology. His lectures on science and culture earned him grea ...

and Carl Ludwig.. In 1869 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 proposer being John Hughes Bennett. In 1869 Rutherford became assistant professor of physiology at

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. In 1871 he was appointed professor of physiology at the

Royal Institution The Royal Institution of Great Britain (often the Royal Institution, Ri or RI) is an organisation for scientific education and research, based in the City of Westminster. It was founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, inc ...

. In 1874 he returned to the University of Edinburgh to succeed Bennett as professor of physiology. In 1875 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 ...

and in 1878 was elected a member of the

Aesculapian Club The Aesculapian Club of Edinburgh is one of the oldest medical dining clubs in the world. It was founded in April 1773 by Dr. Andrew Duncan. Membership of the club is limited to 11 Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and ...

. Rutherford lectured at the University of Edinburgh when

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

studied medicine there. Like his fictional character

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

, who was based on a real person, Conan Doyle's

Professor Challenger George Edward Challenger is a fictional character in a series of fantasy and science fiction stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unlike Doyle's self-controlled, analytical character, Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger is an ...

was based in part on Rutherford. From 1881 his laboratory assistant was Sutherland Simpson. He died 21 February 1899 at 14 Douglas Crescent, Edinburgh. He was not married and had no children, so he was buried with his parents in Ancrum parish churchyard. His chair at the University was filled by Prof

Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer (2 June 1850 – 29 March 1935) was a British physiologist. He is regarded as a founder of endocrinology: in 1894 he discovered and demonstrated the existence of adrenaline together with George Oliver, and he a ...

Works

* ''On the morbid appearances met with in the brains of thirty insane persons'', 1869 * ''Influence of the vagus upon the vascular system'', 1869 * ''Introductory lecture to the course of physiology in King's College, London, 1869'', 1869 * ''An introduction to the study of medicine : a lecture delivered at the opening of the medical session of 1871–72, in King's College, London'', 1871 * ''The present aspects of physiology; an introductory lecture'', 1874 * ''Outlines of practical histology : being the notes of the Histological Section of the Class of Practical Physiology held in the University of Edinburgh'', 1875 * ''The sense of hearing: a lecture'', 1886 * ''Syllabus of lectures on physiology'', 1887 * ''A General account of histological methods'', 1887 * ''On the conditions that influence the attainment of the physiological ideal : introductory lecture, 14 October 1890'', 1890 * ''The tercentenary of the compound microscope; an inaugural address delivered 7 November 1890, to the Scottish Microscopical Society'', 1891 * ''On the method of studying a natural science such as physiology : an introductory lecture, delivered 9 October 1894'', 1894

Notes

References

External links

Notes and Laboratory records of Professor William Rutherford (1839–1899), and Notes from Lectures given by Rutherford and taken down by others
held at the Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections Division {{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, William 1839 births 1899 deaths 19th-century Scottish medical doctors People from the Scottish Borders Scottish physiologists Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Edinburgh Academics of King's College London Fullerian Professors of Physiology Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh