Robley Dunglison,
M.D.
Photo credit: Collections & Services,
Health Sciences Library, University of
Virginia
Robley Dunglison was born in England in 1798. As was true for many of his peers,
his educational background included study at the University of Edinburgh. In a
more unique circumstance, however, he received his M.D. from the University of
Erlangen in Germany. His American career originated at the University of
Virginia, where he was one of seven men invited to comprise the founding faculty
of its medical school. At its opening session in 1825, Dunglison held the
position of Professor of Anatomy and Medicine. From then until 1833, his
curricula expanded to encompass such subjects as Physiology, Materia Medica,
Pharmacy & Histology, Medical Jurisprudence, and the History of Medicine. In
1833, Dunglison departed Virginia to become Professor of Materia Medica,
Hygiene, and Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Maryland. In addition,
he served as the Dean of the medical school from 1834-35. He later moved on to
the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, where he remained for the rest of
his career. An extremely prolific writer, Dunglison wrote extensively on
countless topics ranging from the practice of medicine, to more esoteric themes
such as road building, Greek and Roman geography, and German poetry. But his
medical dictionary is perhaps his most enduring piece, enjoying a long and
celebrated history of more than 20 editions.
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