Alexander Munro Secundus

myminifactory

This lifelike marble bust shows Monro dressed in modern clothing, possibly wearing an academic robe. The sculpture was likely created by William Scoular around 1815. Monro entered the University of Edinburgh at age twelve and started attending medical classes four years later. By the time he earned his medical degree from the university in 1755, he had already been teaching his father's summer anatomy course for about two years and held a joint professorship with him since June 1754. Like his dad Monro was a very successful lecturer, praised for his clear explanations and comprehensive arguments. He became the leading figure in Edinburgh's expanding medical school. Beyond the university Monro also had his own private practice and managed the Royal Infirmary that his father started. Additionally, he served as an early fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was a city official responsible for keeping streets clean. Monro published De venis lymphaticis valvulosis in 1757, but it faced criticism from William Hunter who claimed Monro took ideas from his lectures. Nonetheless, Monro is known for describing the interventricular foramen (the foramen of Monro) and the Monro-Kellie doctrine in Observations on the Structure and Functions of the Nervous System (1783). He also made significant contributions to comparative anatomy. In 1718 Monro's son Alexander Monro tertius became co-professor with his father. By 1798, Monro had retired from teaching, allowing his son to take over the position.