John Chiene

Prof John Chiene CB FRSE LLD (25 February 1843 – 29 May 1923) was an eminent Scottish surgeon, working as Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University during some of its most influential years. He was a founder of the Edinburgh Ambulance Service. The Chiene Medal is presented as an annual prize in surgery at Edinburgh University.

He was born at Howard Place in Edinburgh on 25 February 1843, the son of George Todd Chiene, a chartered accountant. He attended Edinburgh Academy from 1854 to 1860, gaining prizes in Mathematics. Whilst here he was also a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson. He then studied medicine in various prestigious centres of learning: Paris, Berlin and Vienna before qualifying MD at Edinburgh in 1865.

His first role was as a staff member at the New Town Dispensary, by then relocated from Thistle Street to 13 York Place. In 1871 (with references from Joseph Lister) he moved to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as an Assistant Surgeon under Sir John Goodsir, being promoted to full Surgeon in 1878.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1874, his main proposer being Sir Robert Christison.

From 1882 to 1909 he performed a critical and hugely influential role as Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University, replacing Prof James Spence in this role. His candidature received letters of support both from Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur. Through his teaching many major surgical advances were made which, through his many students, had a major impact around the globe. Through the 1880s his Assistant was Dr Alexander Edington. On his retirement in 1909 the faculty presented him with a bronze medal. His role was filled by Prof Henry Alexis Thomson.

In 1900 he is listed as living at 26 Charlotte Square, one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious addresses. He was elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for 1897 to 1899. His life-long friend, Sir John Halliday Croom was also his neighbour, living at 25 Charlotte Square.

In the Boer War he served as Consulting Surgeon to the Field Forces in South Africa. At this time the government then paid him the huge sum of £5000 per annum.

Chiene retired to "Aithernie", a large villa in Davidson's Mains on the west side of Edinburgh.

He died in Edinburgh on 29 May 1923. He is buried in Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh, just south-west of the main entrance with his wife Elizabeth Mary Lyall (1843-1932), and children, Fanny (d.1900) and George L. Chiene FRCSE (1873-1951).

A keen sportsman, he served as President of the Scottish Rugby Union. Also a keen golfer he was Captain of the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society and presented the Chiene Cup, originally a trophy won by golfers linked to Edinburgh University and later broadened to any member.

• Lectures on Surgical Anatomy 1878 (illustrated by Philibert Charles Berjeau)

• President of the Royal Medical Society 1865
• President of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) 1897-99
• Member of the Medico-Chirurgical Society
• President of the Harveian Society 1903

Chiene’s students include many prominent surgeons:

• George Ernest Morrison
• Sir Harold Stiles

He married Elizabeth Mary Lyall in 1869.