The journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
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J R Coll Physicians Edinb · Jan 2012
Biography Historical ArticleA sceptic and an empiric in medicine: George Young (1692-1757) and the beginnings of the Scottish medical Enlightenment.
The Edinburgh surgeon-apothecary and physician George Young was an empiric who emphasised observation, practical experience and a sceptical approach to evidence in medicine. He was an early member of the Rankenian Club, a group of young intellectuals whose ideas were to be at the heart of Scottish Enlightenment thinking. ⋯ Young was an important, but to date relatively neglected, figure in the early years of the Edinburgh Medical School and the Scottish Enlightenment. This paper describes what is known of his life and work, aims to assess his legacy and suggests that he deserves greater recognition and appreciation.