Alexander Monro of Craiglockhart and Cockburn FRSE FRCPE (22 May 1733 – 2 October 1817) was a Scottish anatomist, surgeon and medical educator. To distinguish him as the second of three generations of physicians of the same name, he is known as secundus. His students included the naval physician and abolitionist Thomas Trotter. Alexander was from the distinguished Munro of Auchinbowie family.
Alexander Monro (secundus), the third and youngest son of Alexander Monro (primus) and Isabella Macdonald of Sleat, was born at Edinburgh on May 20, 1733. He was sent with his brothers to Mr Mundell's school, where he learned the rudiments of Latin and Greek, and showed early evidences of great ability. Among his school-fellows were Ilay Campbell who was afterwards Lord President of the Court in Session and William Ramsay of Barnton, the banker.
Alexander's father decided to make him his successor and sent him to Edinburgh University when he was twelve years old, to attend the ordinary course of philosophy before beginning his professional training. He studied mathematics under the great Maclaurin and ethics under Sir John Pringle. Alexander was also a great favourite of Dr Matthew Stewart, Professor of Experimental Philosophy.
Alexander showed a taste for anatomy and after entering on his medical course in his eighteenth year he became a useful assistant to his father in the dissecting room. He attended the lectures of Drs Rutherford, Plummer, Alston and Sinclair. He possessed an insatiable thirst for medical knowledge, an uncommon share of perseverance, and a very good memory.
In the session of 1753-54 his father (Alexander Monro primus) found his class too large for the lecture room and had to divide the class, repeating his lecture in the evening. This he found difficult and experimented with his son (Alexander Monro (secundus) to take the evening class. The results were satisfactory and so he presented a petition to the Town Council at the close of the session asking them to formally appoint his son as his successor. This was granted on June 10 and Alexander Monro secondus was admitted as conjunct professor on July 11.
Alexander Monro (secundus) took his degree as Doctor of Medicine on October 20, 1775. He then proceeded to his studies abroad. He spent a short time in London, where he attended the lectures of Dr William Hunter. He next visited Paris and on September 17, 1757 entered Leyden University where he formed a friendship with two famous anatomists, Bernhard Siegfried Albinus and Petrus Camper. However his foreign studies were principally prosecuted at Berlin, where he worked under the celebrated Professor Meckel, in whose house he lived. Alexander spent some time in Edinburgh during early 1757 in order to fill the place of his father, who was confined to the house by illness. He finally was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on May 2, 1758 and as a Fellow on May 1, 1759.
His father delivered the opening lectures of the 178-59 course and then handed the work to his son.