Dr John Argyll Robertson FRSE PRCSE was a Scottish surgeon who specialised in ophthalmic surgery and became President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1848.
Dr John Argyll Robertson FRSE PRCSE (12 August 1800 – 7 January 1855) was a Scottish surgeon who specialised in ophthalmic surgery and became President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1848.
Early life
John Argyll Robertson was born on 12 August 1800, the son of Alexander Robertson of Prenderguest, Ayton, Berwickshire and his wife Philadelphia Robertson (née Lamb). He was apprenticed to John Henry Wishart, a surgeon with an interest in eye conditions at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Like his two older brothers Robert and William, he studied medicine at Edinburgh University Medical School. In his degree thesis entitled "Ophthalmia" he described inflammation of the anterior chamber of the eye suggesting causes and possible treatment options. The thesis is dedicated to John Wishart, his surgical master, who was President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1820. Robertson qualified MD in 1819.
Surgical career
After qualifying he spent two years in Paris gaining further experience, followed by a year of study at German and Italian medical centres. In 1821 Roberson submitted his probationary essay, entitled "On the Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye", to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCSEd). In this he makes the observation that the physiological blind spot in the eye corresponds to the optic disc. He was elected FRCSEd on 26 February 1822. Later that year he set up in practice in Edinburgh and, along with John Henry Wishart, he founded the Edinburgh Eye Dispensary, the first specialist ophthalmic hospital in Scotland, with premises in the Lawnmarket, Edinburgh.
