Losing Sight of the Shore: Scotland's Medical Explorers 1815-1915

For one hundred years Scottish medical explorers were at the forefront of exploration within the British Empire, as exemplified by these five individuals. This dominant role was facilitated by the convergence of four events: the unification of Scotland and England, the Scottish Enlightenment, Scotland’s unique method of preparing doctors, and the need for a new type of explorer.These events provided the men of Scotland with a trajectory that was quite different from their English counterparts. Throughout the century of exploration, Britain concentrated on expanding its already extensive global empire, and leading this movement were the men of Scotland. Over half of the British explorers from this era were Scottish and often doctors who had received their training at Scottish universities.Those graduating from the University of Edinburgh outnumbered those from other Scottish universities by a ratio of almost 9 to 1.Why were there so many Scottish doctors exploring a dangerous and unknow