Some nineteenth century Scotsmen Author:William Angus Knight Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: JOHN GOODSIR 1814-1867 The granite obelisk in the Dean Cemetery which bears the simple inscription, "John Goodsir, Anatomist ; Born March 20th, 1814, Died Ma... more »rch 6th, 1867," marks the grave of one of the most original and laborious scientific anatomists the world has ever seen. Had health and length of days been granted him, he would have left an immense impression on scientific research; but his death at the age of fifty-three found much of his best work unfinished. This was from no fault of his except perhaps too continuous application, and too little care of his body, for a more strenuous self-denying life of work was never lived. He had every advantage of birth. His father and grandfather were doctors in the east of Fife. Both were men of great originality and power, mental and physical. They were descended from a line of tall, strong, big-headed farmers and traders, in east Fife. They were connected by marriage with families well known in Scottish Annals. They were pious ; his grandfather being a famous preacher, as well as a doctor. They had large families of sturdy boys, and healthy girls;and they were well brought up in the good old Scottish fashion, frugal and hard-working. John was educated at the Burgh School of Anstruther. Going to the University of St Andrews at the age of thirteen, he went through the ordinary courses of lectures, and attended also a course of Natural History by Dr M'Vicar, which stimulated his natural bent towards biological study. In 1830, while but a lad, he was apprenticed to Mr Nasmyth, the great dentist of that day, and worked with him, taking classes at the University, and in its extra-mural school. In 1835 he took charge of Nasmyth's practice during his autumnal holiday, and pulled out a tooth for Daniel O'Counell! He was much inf...« less