George Young (surgeon)

George Young (1692–1757) was an Edinburgh surgeon, physician, philosopher and empiric. As a young man he was a member of the Rankenian Club, a group of intellectuals who were to go on to become some of the most influential figures of the Scottish Enlightenment. Young's lecture notes (1730–31) give a clear account of contemporary medical and surgical practice and are characterised by the empirical approach to the advancement of medical knowledge, especially in the evolving understanding of nerve and muscle function. His Treatise on Opium (1753) was a practical guide for physicians in the use of the drug which emphasises its complications. It was the longest, most balanced and most comprehensive English language account written yet written. Young's legacy is also apparent in the work of his pupil Robert Whytt (1714–1766) and his surgical apprentice James Hill (1703–1776). Young had taught both the value of repeated observation and a sceptical approach to prevailing dogma. Whytt was to advance knowledge of nerve and muscle function while Hill went on to make important contributions to the understanding and management of head injury.

Young was born in Edinburgh in 1692. On 14 March 1711 he was apprenticed to the Edinburgh surgeon-apothecary Alexander Simpson. In July 1719 he passed the entrance examination for the Incorporation of Surgeons of Edinburgh, becoming a freeman or fellow. Around this time he joined the Rankenian Club, and was the only surgeon known to have done so. The Rankenian was regarded as one of the most important of the many learned clubs and societies which were a defining feature of the Scottish Enlightenment. The Scots Magazine in May 1771 reckoned that "the Rankenians were highly instrumental in disseminating throughout Scotland freedom of thought, boldness of disquisition, liberality of sentiment, accuracy of reasoning, correctness of taste and accuracy of composition." Its members were to become major figures of the Scottish Enlightenment

Young worked as surgeon-apothecary in Edinburgh from about 1720, and between then and 1754 trained twelve surgical apprentices. Yet he was atrracted to as a career as a physician and to qualify as such he applied for, and on 21 June 1736 was awarded, the degree of MD (St Andrews) in absentia The next year he successfully applied to become a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

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