William Saunders

William Saunders FRS FRSE (9 July 1743 – 4 June 1817) was a Scottish physician who was the first president of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society. Life William Saunders was born on 9 July 1743 in Banff, Aberdeenshire, the son of Dr James Saunders MD. From 1755 to 1759 he took a Science degree at Marischal College in Aberdeen (the usual age to attend University in the 18th century was 14). He studied Medicine under Dr William Cullen at the University of Edinburgh and became Cullen's assistant. Writing a thesis on the medical use of antimony he gained his doctorate (MD) in 1765.