# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Christison, Robert

​CHRISTISON, Sir ROBERT, M.D. (1797–1882), medical professor at Edinburgh, twin son of Alexander Christison, professor of humanity (Latin) at Edinburgh from 1806 to 1820, was born on 18 July 1797. His father, a tall and very strong man, of Scandinavian type, was accomplished not only in classics but in philosophy and science, and his cast of mind greatly influenced his son's career. He was remarkably generous, too, and admitted large numbers gratis to his university class. Christison at the high school was a pupil of Irving and Pillans. Under his father's guidance he studied Newton's ‘Principia,’ and went through the arts course in the university. Choosing a medical career, he graduated at Edinburgh in 1819, and was resident medical assistant in the Royal Infirmary from the autumn of 1817 to April 1820. After a short period of study in London, chiefly at St. Bartholomew's under Abernethy and Lawrence, Christison went to Paris, where he remained till April 1821, mostly studying analytical chemistry under Robiquet. A few lectures of Orfila, the toxicologist, whose work Christison was to carry on, greatly influenced him. When Christison returned home, he found himself already involved by his elder brother in a contest for the chair of medical jurisprudence at Edinburgh, which had become vacant. After keen competition the appointment was decided in Christison's favour early in 1822, partly on Robiquet's testimony, as no other candidate had any practical chemical experience, and partly by the influence of Sir George Warrender (who had been resident pupil with Christison's father when he was born) with Lord Melville, who then wielded the Scotch ministerial patronage. The young professor set to work to give a scientific basis to medical jurisprudence, and especially toxicology, Orfila's great work, then recent, not having been yet assimilated by British physicians. Christison learnt German in order to study his subject in that language, and was soon known as a lecturer and medical witness far more logical, accurate, and unimpeachable than any that had yet appeared. He was appointed medical adviser to the crown in Scotland, and in this capacity from 1829, when the famous trial of Burke [see Burke, William, (1792–1829)] and Hare took place, to 1866, he was medical witness in almost every important case in Scotland and in many in England. Some instructions which he drew up as to the examination of dead bodies for legal purposes became the accepted guide in such cases. He ascertained accurately the distinctions between signs of injuries inflicted before and after death. He gave a methodical account in his lectures of the observations necessary in cases of death from wounds. A thorough investigation into the detection and treatment of oxalic acid poisoning, undertaken with his fellow-student, Dr. Coindet, in 1823, brought his skill in toxicology into prominence, and he followed this up by investigations on arsenic, lead, opium, hemlock, &c. His lectures at first were but sparsely attended, but his class increased afterwards to ninety. In 1827 he was appointed physician to the infirmary. In 1829 he published his ‘Treatise on Poisons,’ which was received with general approval, and reached a fourth edition in 1845. It was translated into German (Weimar, 1831). ‘As a witness,’ says the ‘Scotsman’ (28 Jan. 1882), ‘he was remarkable for a lucid precision of statement, which left no shadow of doubt in the mind ​of court, counsel, or jury as to his views. Another noteworthy characteristic was the candour and impartiality he invariably displayed.’ He set his face strongly against partisanship in medical and scientific testimony, and refused large fees in consequence. As an experimentalist he risked his own life several times, tasting arsenious acid, eating an ounce of the root of ‘Œnanthe crocata,’ taking a large dose of Calabar bean, and almost paralysing himself.
In 1832 Christison resigned his chair of medical jurisprudence, and was appointed to that of materia medica and therapeutics, which he held till 1877. He joined with this a professorship of clinical medicine, which he resigned in 1855. His fame as a medical witness, and his investigations on Bright's disease and on fevers, brought him much practice, and he was president of the Edinburgh College of Physicians in 1839 and in 1848. In the latter year he was appointed physician in ordinary to the queen in Scotland. From 1868 to 1873 he was president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; in 1875 he was president of the British Medical Association. He declined the presidency of the British Association in 1876. In 1871 he received a baronetcy on Mr. Gladstone's recommendation. A host of British and foreign honorary distinctions were conferred on him.
Christison took an active part in general university affairs and in those of the medical faculty, of which he was for some years dean, afterwards becoming a member of the university court (1859–77 and 1879–81), and a crown representative in the general medical council (1858–77). He was a forcible public speaker, with a clear mellow bass voice, his language terse, unaffected, and precise. In 1872, on completing the fiftieth year's tenure of a professorship, he was specially honoured by a banquet and the honorary LL.D. of his own university. In 1877 he resigned his professorship, but lived in considerable vigour for some years, dying on 23 Jan. 1882 in his eighty-fifth year. His wife, a Miss Brown, whom he had married in 1827, died in 1849, leaving three sons. Although somewhat dogmatic and positive in expressing his opinions, Christison was at bottom most genial and warm-hearted. He was an elder in the Scotch church, liberal in his religious views, but a tory in politics. Sir Henry Acland, in a letter to his son (Life, vol. ii.), speaks of him as ‘a man of indomitable courage in both parts of his nature, mental and physical, and equally endowed in both,’ and of ‘his humorous appreciation of character, the result of his wide interest in men and things, combined with hatred of all pettiness and meanness.’ In person Christison was tall and athletic, and his appearance evidenced great determination of character. Up to old age he maintained a remarkable vigour of constitution, enabling him not only to overcome repeated attacks of fever caught in his practice, but to walk, run, and climb better than any man of his time in Edinburgh. He would race up Arthur's Seat from the head of Hunter's Bog in less than five minutes. In 1861 he became captain of the university rifle volunteers, retaining that post till 1877, when he was eighty years old. In 1875 he twice ascended Ben Voirlich, a climb of 2,900 feet; in his eighty-fourth year he climbed a hill of 1,200 feet.
Besides his work on poisons Christison published a book on ‘Granular Degeneration of the Kidneys,’ 1839, and a ‘Commentary on the Pharmacopœias of Great Britain,’ 1842. A large number of his papers on chemistry, medical jurisprudence, materia medica, medicine, botany, &c., are enumerated in his ‘Life,’ vol. ii. They were chiefly contributed to the Edinburgh medical journals and the ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.’ He wrote in Tweedie's ‘Library of Medicine’ several chapters on fever (vol. i.), and on diseases of the kidney (vol. iv.). His papers on the measurement and age of trees, written in later life, were of much interest (Trans. Bot. Soc., Edinburgh, 1878–81).
[Life of Sir R. Christison, edited by bis sons, 1885-6; vol. i. is an autobiography, 1797-1830, very pleasingly written, with a fund of anecdote; vol. ii. includes chapters on his career as a physician by Professor Gairdner, and on his scientific career by Professor T. R. Fraser; Scotsman, 28 Jan. 1882.]
G. T. B.