John Murray (physician)

John Murray (1778 to 1820) was a British medical doctor and scientist, born in Edinburgh, who worked in physics, chemistry and geology and was called a chemical philosopher by one contemporary. He was educated at the High School, and studied medicine at St Andrews, graduating around 1798. His first important book, Elements of Chemistry, appeared in 1801 when he was only twenty three. From 1810 he lectured in Edinburgh on chemistry and later on materia medica, pharmacy and natural philosophy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1812 for his contributions to geology, took his medical doctorate in 1814, and presented twenty eight papers, the most important concerning a safety lamp for miners. He died in Edinburgh in 1820.