58 HISTORr of the SOCIETr. 



II. Account of Sir Alexander Dick, Bart, of Prejlonfield^ 

 late Preftdent of the Royal College of Phyficians of Edinburgh, 

 and F. R. S. Edin. 



[Read by Dr DuNCAN, now Profeffor of the Theory of Medicine in 

 the Univerfity of Edinburgh, March i6. 1789.] 



SIr Alexander Dick of Preftonfield, was born on the 

 23d of 0(flober 1703. He was the third fon of Sir Wil- 

 liam Cunningham of Caprington, by Dame Janet Dick, 

 the only child and heirefs of Sir James Dick of Preftonfield. 

 While his two elder brothers fucceeded to ample fortunes, the 

 one as heir to his father, the other to his mother, the provifion 

 made for a younger fon was not fufEcient to enable him to live 

 in a manner agreeable to his wi flies, without the aid of his own 

 exertions. His inclination led him to make choice of the pro- 

 feflion of Medicine ; and after being inftrudled in the prelimi- 

 nary branches of education at Edinburgh, he began his aca- 

 demical ftudies in the fcience of Phyfic, at the Univerfity of 

 Leyden, under the celebrated Boerhaave, at that time the 

 moft eminent Medical Profefllbr in Europe. After having com- 

 pleted the ufual academical courfe under Boerhaave and his 

 colleagues, he obtained the degree of Doclor of Medicine from 

 the Univerfity of Leyden, on the 3 ill of Auguft 1725 ; and, 

 upon that occafion, he publiflied an inaugural difl^ertation De 

 Epilepfia, which did him much credit. Not long after this, 

 he returned to his native country, and had the honour of re- 

 ceiving a fecond diploma for the degree of Do<5lor of Medicine, 

 which was conferred upon him by the Univerfity of St An- 

 drews, on the 23d of January 1727 ; and on the 7th of No- 



, vember 



