ABSTRACT

John Abercrombie was awarded Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and, in 1805, was appointed surgeon to the Royal Public Dispen­sary in Richmond Street. The dispensary provided free medical care to the sick and poor and provided opportunities for work for many new apprentices in general practice. As Abercrombie’s abilities as a doctor became well known he began treating patients from across the British Isles and various countries. Abercrombie wrote a number of essays on topics of everyday use which when accumulated were referred to as Elements of Sacred Truth for the Young. In 1841, Abercrombie was partially paralysed, yet continued his role as a general practitioner. During the Disruption of 1843, he joined the evangelical party, which secured a majority in the General Assembly and formed the Free Church of Scotland.