Alexander Monro (primus)

Alexander was the only surviving son of surgeon John Monro whose wish was for Alexander to form a medical school in Edinburgh.  

Alexander, typical for an early 17th century Scottish medical student, studied in Edinburgh, Paris and London. In 1718-19, Alexander studied in Leiden, the foremost medical school in Europe. A pupil of Dutch physician Herman Boerhaave, it was his teaching methods that Alexander adopted when he returned to Edinburgh. 

In 1719, he became freeman of the Incorporation of Surgeons and in 1720 was appointed Professor of Anatomy by the Town Council and taught in Old Surgeons Hall. Alexander lectured in English rather than Latin and his classes were extremely popular.

In 1725, Alexander petitioned the Town Council to request the Chair of Anatomy and his anatomical collection, be transferred to the University. The Edinburgh Medical School was founded in 1726 with Alexander its first Chair of Anatomy. He played a leading role in creating the school after the style of Leiden – developing anatomical, surgical and clinical based learning. His son Alexander (secundus) followed him as Chair of Anatomy.

Alexander’s publications include The Anatomy of Human Bones (1726) and An Account of the Inoculation of Smallpox in Scotland (1764).