Anatomist, physician and medical educator. Name: Alexander Monro (secundus)Category: Alumni and previous staffRole: Professor of Anatomy Time active with Edinburgh Medical School: 1758-1808 A Scottish anatomist, physician and medical educator, Alexander Monro is typically known as “secundus” to distinguish him as the second of three generations of doctors with the same name. Born in 1733, Alexander attended the University of Edinburgh when he was only 12 years old, taking courses in philosophy before later embarking on medical training. One of the longest-serving academics in the history of the Medical School, Alexander laid the foundations for modern anatomy and medicine. His major achievements as an educator included describing the lymphatic system, providing a detailed explanation of the musculo-skeletal system and introducing clinical medicine into the curriculum. This article was published on 2026-03-12
