Robert James Blair Cunynghame
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File:6 Walker Street, Edinburgh.jpg
Robert James Blair Cunynghame of Cronan, FRCSEd, FRSE JP (13 January 1841 – 23 December 1903) was a prominent Scottish surgeon, physiologist and early forensic scientist in the late 19th century. He served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1891 to 1893. He is said to have had a calm, beautiful face and his opinion was used as a benchmark to medical thought.British Medical Journal: Obituaries 2 January 1904
Early life and education
File:The grave of R J B Cunynghame, Dean Cemetery.jpg
He was born in Leith on 13 January 1841 the son of Jane Hinchcliff Addy Clark and George Cunynghame (born 1809).{{cite web|url=http://www.lothiansfhs.org/node/140|website=lothiansfhs.org|title=www.lothiansfhs.org/node/140|accessdate=11 February 2018}} His father worked in the Leith shipbuilding company of Strachan, Gasvin and Cunynghame.
He studied at the University of Edinburgh, graduating MD in 1862,{{Cite journal|last=Cunynghame|first=Robert James Blair|date=1862|title=Foeticide|url=https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/31746|language=en}} and is said to have been a favourite of Prof William Tennant Gairdner. He won the university Gold Medal for Forensic Medicine. He served for a while as Resident Physician to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary then did further studies in Paris, Berlin, Vienna and London. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1866.
Surgical career
He enlisted in the British Army as a Surgeon serving with the Rifle Brigade in India. He retained a military connection in Britain, serving with the Queen’s Edinburgh Volunteer Brigade.
On the death of his brother in Edinburgh he resigned his commission and returned to look after family affairs. His roles were clearly well-chosen, serving as main Physician to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, and with administrative roles for both Longmore Hospital for Incurables and the Queen Victoria Jubilee Institute (which trained District Nurses). He was also Superintendent of Statistics for the General Registrar of Scotland, 1879–1901,{{cite web|url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/research/economicsocialhistory/historymedicine/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/leadingactors/superintendentsofstatistics/|title=University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Social & Political Sciences - Research - Research in Economic & Social History - Centre for the History of Medicine - Scottish Way of Birth and Death - Leading Actors - Superintendents of Statistics|website=gla.ac.uk|accessdate=10 February 2018}} replacing Dr William Robertson FRSE. He was made President of the Royal Medical Society in 1862 and President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1891. He was Justice of the Peace for Perthshire, where he held his country estate of Cronan.
In 1868 he was elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh.{{Cite book|url=https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ww4e59xv|title= A Record of the Edinburgh Harveian Society|last=Watson Wemyss|first=Herbert Lindesay|publisher=T&A Constable, Edinburgh|year=1933|language=en}}{{Cite book|title=Minute Books of the Harveian Society|url=http://archives.rcpe.ac.uk/calmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DEP%2fHAR%2f1%2f1%2f1&pos=17|location= Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh}} In 1871 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being fellow forensic scientist, Prof William Rutherford Sanders.{{Cite book |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 1 (A–J) |author=C D Waterston |author2=A Macmillan Shearer |publisher=Royal Society of Edinburgh |isbn=090219884X |date=July 2006 |access-date=18 September 2015 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |url-status=dead}} In 1879 he was elected a member of the Aesculapian Club.{{Cite book|title=Minute Books of the Aesculapian Club|url=http://archives.rcpe.ac.uk/calmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DEP%2fAEC%2f1&pos=2|location= Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh}} At this time he was living at 6 Walker Street in Edinburgh’s West End.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1879–1880
Later life and death
He had been in ill-health for some time and the death of his daughter early in December 1903 worsened his condition and he died at home, 18 Rothesay Place in Edinburgh’s West End,Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1902-3 on Wednesday 23 December 1903. He is buried with his wife Joanna in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.{{cite web|url=http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravedetails.php?fullname=Edwin%20Blair%20Cunynghame&grave=72881&scrwidth=1600|author=Charles Sale|website=gravestonephotos.com|title=Gravestone Photographs Resource grave details page|accessdate=10 February 2018}} The grave lies on the southern path of the Victorian north extension, close to the link to the original cemetery. Their grandson Sir James Blair-Cunynghame (1913-1990) lies with them.
Family
He was married to Joanna (1851–1893). They had two sons, Edwin Blair Cunynghame (1873–1955) and Ronald Ogilvy Blair Cunynghame who was killed in the First World War.
References
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Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Category:British physiologists
Category:Medical doctors from Leith
Category:Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School
Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh