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Andrew Duncan and Medical and Philosophical Commentaries, 1773–1795

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Andrew Duncan and Medical and Philosophical Commentaries, 1773–1795 From the James Lind Library Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine; 2019, Vol. 112(1) 36–47 DOI: 10.1177/0141076818820779 Helping physicians to keep abreast of the medical literature: Andrew Duncan and Medical and Philosophical Commentaries, 1773–1795 John Chalmers, Iain Chalmers and Ulrich Troehler 1Edinburgh EH10 4SG, UK 2James Lind Initiative, Oxford OX2 7LG, UK 3Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Corresponding author: Iain Chalmers. Email: [email protected] Andrew Duncan began his publishing career in 1772, Each issue of the new periodical was to contain with observations on the use of mercury for treating registers of climatic measurements in Edinburgh and venereal disease. Thereafter he produced a substan- accounts of the diseases which had been epidemic and tial published output – on therapeutics, materia ‘most universal’ there; observations and essays on med- medica, pathology, reports of cases seen at the ical subjects; figures illustrating instruments, patho- Edinburgh Public Dispensary, and biographical com- logical specimens, etc.; and lists of medical books, mentaries on his colleagues. However, Duncan’s most published or in press. Each volume also included successful publishing venture was his Medical and accounts of ‘the most remarkable Improvements and Philosophical Commentaries (hereafter, the Discoveries in Physick’ which had been made since the Commentaries). In the Commentaries, Duncan1 previous issue. This element comes nearest to the pur- endeavoured to meet needs which remain inad- poses of Andrew Duncan’s Medical and Philosophical equately met even today: namely, how can doctors Commentaries, but it only used between 1 and 10% of be helped to cope with cascades of clinical literature.2 the pages in each volume of Medical Essays and There had been some attempts in the 17th century to Observations, which was principally a vehicle for clin- respond to the needs of busy people for relevant ical and pathological case reports. research information. Weekly Memorials (1682) and Medical Essays and Observations was published in Medicina Curiosa (1684) contained abstracts of articles five volumes, until 1744, after which the disruption and books published elsewhere. The contents of the caused by the Jacobite rebellion meant that no fur- former were mostly non-medical, however, and the ther volumes were published. In 1754, Essays and latter ceased publication after only two issues.3 In Observations Physical and Literary was launched, 1733, a publication entitled Medical Essays and inspired by the example of Medical Essays and Observations waslaunchedby‘aSocietyin Observations, again by ‘a Society in Edinburgh’. It Edinburgh’ which had been instituted in 1731 for the appeared in three volumes (the last published in improvement of medical knowledge. The secretary of 1771) and published papers that had been ‘read the society was Alexander Monro primus, the first before the Society’. In addition to medicine, Essays Professor of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh, and Observations Physical and Literary covered topics and he was almost certainly the author of the preface. as various as astronomy, botany, earthquakes and As explained in the preface, this initiative reflected a the benefits of shallow ploughing, but it had no sec- concern that, because the preparation and publication tion specifically designed to comment on advances or of a book was a major undertaking, important obser- recently published books. vations were not being reported because doctors were Although Medical Essays and Observations must not prepared to take on the work of communicating have had some influence on Andrew Duncan’s deci- them in book format (Introduction).4 In addition, sion to launch Medical and Philosophical there was a felt need for a publication specifically for Commentaries, the principal model for his plan for medical matters, and one which considered the applic- the new publication seems likely to have been ability of observations made in other parts of the world Commentarii de rebus in scientia naturali et medicina to the climatic and other circumstances of Scotland. gestis – a periodical containing abstracts of scientific ! The Authors 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions Chalmers et al. 37 and medical books published in Leipzig, Germany, mostly business letters concerned with publications. which appeared between 1752 and 1798.5,6 There are no letters from Duncan to Murray, Duncan’s Commentaries was the first English-lan- although the content of Duncan’s letters can some- guage journal of abstracts of books relevant to busy times be inferred from Murray’s replies. The Murray clinicians. Between 1773 and 1780, over 1000 copies Archive also contains the archive of Charles Elliot of each quarterly issue came out in three editions which came into possession of the Murray family simultaneously in Edinburgh, London and Dublin.7 through the marriage of John Murray II, with This large circulation suggests that its readership Elliot’s daughter Anne in 1806. The Elliot archive included all types of 18th-century practitioners – uni- contains no letters to or from Duncan, for the two versity trained physicians, barber-surgeons, apothec- men lived close together and must have communi- aries and the new type of surgeons with Scottish or cated personally, but the copies of Elliot’s letters to continental MD degrees. It became sufficiently well others contain many references to Duncan’s regarded to justify translation into languages other publications. than English (preface, vol. 6, 1779, pp. 5–6). In The copy letters from both the Murray and Elliot 1780, it was renamed Medical Commentaries (the Archives are haphazardly punctuated and capitalised. new title reflecting its clinical contents) and went on In the interest of clarity, these have been edited lightly to be published annually until 1795. here, but without altering the text. The letters have been quoted at length for they give a vivid account of Finding a publisher for the Commentaries the sometimes stormy relationship between Duncan, Murray and Elliot. Andrew Duncan had two principal publishers: John In 1772, Murray had published Duncan’s Murray in London and Charles Elliot in Edinburgh Observations on the operation and use of mercury in (their publications for him are listed in Appendix 1). the Venereal Diseases. He began publication of The archive of the publishing firm of Murray, Medical and Philosophical Commentaries the follow- recently acquired by the National Library of ing year (Appendix 1). Scotland, contains many references to the relation- The early letters from Murray, although business- ship between Duncan and Murray and Elliott. like, are written in a friendly manner and contain These give an interesting insight into a cut-throat many personal asides: and competitive industry, and also reveal an unflat- tering aspect of Duncan’s character. 7 Jan 1773 JM to AD John Murray (1737–1793), the founder of the emi- I was duly favoured with yours by your brother who nent publishing house, was born in Edinburgh and is to dine with me to-day and whom you need not attended the High School and University there. After doubt my readiness to serve, were but my ability trying his hand at a variety of jobs, including serving equal to my inclination ... as an officer in the Royal Marines, Murray bought I have communicated the Plan of our new intended the bookselling and publishing house of William Publication [the Commentaries] to several people here Sandby in Fleet Street, London, in 1768. Without who are of opinion that it may succeed if it is in some any experience or training in publishing, he proved measure extended .... the greatest care should be to be a shrewd business man and rapidly established taken of the Composition and Language of the first himself as one of the leading London publishers with number. I mention this particularly as the age we live a special interest in medical works. Edinburgh had in requires it and as your proposals are extremely several eminent publishers with whom Duncan had incorrect .... I am the more zealous of having a friendly relationship, but when first seeking a pub- the publication perfect as your own reputation and lisher for his own works he chose John Murray. the reputation of Scotland are in some measure London had the advantage of greater prestige and a invested. larger potential market. Duncan’s favoured Edinburgh publisher was It was arranged that the Commentaries would be pub- Charles Elliot (1748–1790) who established his busi- lished quarterly and sold to the public at 1s 6d.7 The ness in Parliament Square in 1771 (James Boswell rate to booksellers was 1s to 1s 2d. The four annual and Robert Burns were among his customers). He numbers were bound into volumes selling at 6s. specialised in medical publications, including works Duncan was to receive £15 for each number. by William Cullen, James Gregory, Alexander Monro secundus and Alexander Hamilton. 28 Jan 1773 JM to AD The Murray Archive contains copies of 109 letters If I am fortunate enough to establish the work after sent by Murray to Duncan between 1773 and 1786, the first 4 numbers, you will if my agreement of £15 38 Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 112(1) per no. is judged to [sic] small, have an opportunity facts, are the means by which this end may be most of making your own terms ...Who ever built a house readily obtained. In no age ...does greater regard at the estimate price? seem to have been paid to these particulars, than in the present. From the liberal spirit of inquiry which Duncan was to have the Commentaries printed in universally prevails, it is not surprising that scarce a Edinburgh. One thousand copies were to be printed day should pass without something being communi- in the first instance, some of these to be retained in cated to the public as a discovery or an improvement Edinburgh by the booksellers Kincaid and Creech for in medicine.
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