CULLEN, \Vau.esar (1710-90). A Scotch physician, one of the most celebrated professors of medicine in the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. He was born at Hamilton, Scot land, his father being factor to the Duke of Hamilton. He acquired his medical education between 1727 and 1736, under great difficulties. but fortunately secured the aid of John Paisley. a surgeon apothecary, and Monro the Elder. In 1736 lie began to practice his profession in his native town, and was rapidly successful. One of his pupils was William Hunter (q.v.). In 1740 he received the degree of M.D. from Glas gow University. In 1744 he removed to Glas gow'; in 1746 he began to lecture on the theory and practice of physic, on botany and the ma teria medica, and finally on chemistry, in Glas gow University. In botany Cullen seems to have lectured in Latin, but in the other depart ments he adopted the English language as the vehicle of expression, an innovation of great importance, which permitted him to adopt a more familiar style of lecturing than had hither to been in use. One of his original hearers re cords that "in the physic class Dr. Cullen never read lectures, but only used notes: in the chem istry he sometimes read, hut very seldom." In
1757 lie became full professor of chemistry, while continuing to teach clinical medicine in the Royal Infirmary, a duty up to this period performed by Dr. Rutherford only. the professor of medicine and botany. In 1760 lie undertook also the lectures on materia medica. In 1766 Cullen was placed in the chair of institutes of medicine, vacant by the death of Dr. Whytt; and Black, the greatest chemical discoverer of the time, took Cullen's place as professor of chem istry. In 1773 Cullen was transferred to the chair of the practice of physic.
His most important works are the First Lines of the Practice of (1777), in which he sets forth his system of nosology founded on his theories of nerve influence, and which was translated into many languages; Synopsis Yo soloyirr llethodirer (1785) last it a t long of Medi cine (17871; .t Treetise of the Materia Medic(' (1789). His writings have been collected in two volumes by Dr. John Thomson ( Edinburgh, 1827), by whom also a life was commenced, the first volume of which was published in 1832. This biography was continued by his son, and finally completed in a second volume by Dr. Craigie in 1859.