James Begbie

James Begbie (1798, Edinburgh – 26 August 1869, Edinburgh) was a Scottish medical doctor who served as president of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh (1850–2) and as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1854–6). He was among the first physicians to give a detailed description of exophthalmic goitre, currently known as Graves disease (previously called Basedow's syndrome or Begbie's disease). He is also related to the study of Dubini's disease, the old name for myoclonic epidemic encephalitis. His son James Warburton Begbie was also an eminent physician. Biography Begbie was born on 18 December 1798 in Edinburgh, and educated at the High School. Aged 14 he was apprenticed to Dr John Abercrombie (1780–1844) at 19 York Place. Later on, he also became Abercrombie's assistant.