This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.
Alexander Monro Secundus
Alexander Monro Secundus (1733- 1817). Scottish physician and anatomist, born in Edinburgh. Alexander Monro Secundus (the second), studied anatomy with his father Alexander Monro Primus (the first). He received his doctorate in medicine at 22 years of age. His studies led him to write on the lymphatic system, leading to a public written dispute with William Hunter. In 1753 he demonstrated the communication channels between both lateral and third ventricle of the brain, describing it in a published work in 1797. Since then, these channels have been know as the foramina of Monro. Later analysis of prior publications demonstrate that these foramina were known, although probably not well understood.
The Monro family gave history three anatomists who occupied the chair of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh for over a century. Alexander Monro Primus (1697 - 1767), Alexander Monro Secundus (1733 - 1817), and Alexander Monro Tertius (1773 - 1859)
Sources:
1. Sharp, J. A. (1961). Alexander Monro secundus and the interventricular foramen. Medical History, 5(1), 83
2. Wu, O. C., Manjila, S., Malakooti, N., & Cohen, A. R. (2012). The remarkable medical lineage of the Monro family: contributions of Alexander primus, secundus, and tertius. Journal of neurosurgery, 116(6), 1337-1346.
3. "The origin of Medical Terms" Skinner, HA; 1970
Original image: Coloured stipple engraving by James Heath (1757–1834), after Henry Raeburn (1756–1823) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
