Editing John Abercrombie (physician) (section)

== Medical career ==
After graduating he went for further study at [[St George's Hospital]] in London and, returning to Edinburgh, set up in practice at 8 Nicolson Street, next to the Edinburgh Riding School, which in 1832 was to become the site of the Playfair building of the present [[Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh]] (RCSEd). In 1804 he became a Fellow of the RCSEd. His general practice rapidly became popular and in 1805 he became surgeon to the [[Royal Public Dispensary of Edinburgh|Royal. Public Dispensary]] in nearby Richmond Street.<ref name="EB1911" /> Here he provided free medical care for the poor of the locality and gave instruction to medical student and apprentices. By dividing the city into geographical sectors and assigning his trainees to different sectors he began a systematic training system for these trainees.<ref name=":1" /> In 1816 he was appointed surgeon to the newly established New Town Dispensary. From the outset he kept detailed notes on all of his patients, an unusual practice at that time. These were to form the basis for his many clinical publications, which further enhanced his reputation. From 1816 he published various papers in the ''Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal'', which formed the basis of his more extensive works: ''Pathological and Practical Researches on Diseases of the Brain and Spinal Cord'',<ref>{{cite book|author=Abercrombie, John|title=Pathological and practical researches on diseases of the brain and the spinal cord|year=1828|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Waugh and Innes|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011693733}}</ref> regarded as the first textbook in [[neurology|neuropathology]], and ''Researches on the Diseases of the Intestinal Canal, Liver and other Viscera of the Abdomen'', both published in 1828.<ref name="EB1911" /> In the latter book described for the first time the symptoms and signs of perforated duodenal ulcer. This was at a time when, it was difficult for physicians to correlate clinical features with pathology. Abercrombie's gave the first ever description of the clinical features of perforated duodenal ulcer confirmed by the post-mortem. The specimen showing the perforated ulcer was placed in Surgeons’ Hall Museum where it is on display to this day

In 1821 he was unsuccessful in his application for the Chair of the Practice of Physic at the University of Edinburgh. Thereafter he devoted himself to consulting medical practice. He became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1823 and a Fellow of the College the following year.<ref name=":0" />

In later years he wrote a series of philosophical speculations, and in 1830 he published his ''Inquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers and the Investigation of Truth'',<ref>{{cite book|author=Abercrombie, John|title=Inquiries concerning the intellectual powers and the investigation of truth|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Waugh and Innes|year=1830|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011714446}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Review of ''Inquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers and the Investigation of Truth'' by John Abercrombie|journal=The Quarterly Review|date=July 1831|volume=45|pages=341–358|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074711451;view=1up;seq=351}}</ref> which was followed in 1833 by a sequel, ''The Philosophy of the Moral Feelings''. Both works achieved wide popularity at the time of their publication. The Inquiries (1830) has been widely cited in treatises on the law of evidence, due to its discussion of probability, (the sources of) certainty, and (doubts regarding) testimony.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|wstitle=Abercrombie, John|inline=1|volume=1|page=43}}</ref>

An elder of the [[Church of Scotland]], he also wrote ''The man of faith: or the harmony of Christian faith and Christian character'' (1835),<ref>Abercrombie, John (1835) [https://archive.org/stream/manoffaithorharm00aber#page/n5/mode/2up ''The man of faith: or the harmony of Christian faith and Christian character'']. New York: Van Nostrand & Dwight</ref> which he distributed freely.  
[[File:19 York Place, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|19 York Place, Edinburgh]]

Abercrombie was a founder member in 1841of the Edinburgh Association for sending Medical Aid for Foreign Countries, which became the [[EMMS International|Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society]], and he gave financial support to its work.<ref name=":0" />

The year after his death his ''Essays'' (1845) on [[Christian ethics]] were published.<ref>Abercrombie, John (1845) [[iarchive:abercrombieessays00aberrich|''Essays'']]. New York: Harper</ref>