William Cullen, a Scottish physician, born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, April 15, 1710, died near Edinburgh, Feb. 5, 1790. He studied medicine at the university of Glasgow, and at the same time served an apprenticeship to a surgeon apothecary of that place. At the age of 19 he procured the berth of surgeon on a merchant ship in the "West India trade, and in 1732 returned to Scotland. While he was practising at Hamilton, William Hunter became his pupil under an agreement of ultimate partnership, which was broken off by Hunter's settling in London in 1741. In 1745 Cullen took up his residence in Glasgow, and in the succeeding year commenced a course of lectures in the university on the theory and practice of medicine. In 1751 he became professor of medicine, and lectured on chemistry, materia medica, and botany, giving much attention to the application of chemistry to agriculture and the useful arts. In 1756 he removed to Edinburgh to assume the chair of chemistry, and Thomson, in his "History of Chemistry," speaks of Cullen "as the true commencer of the study of scientific chemistry in Great Britain." He continued to be connected with the university until his death, and for nearly 34 years lectured with great reputation on chemistry, materia medica, and the theory and practice of medicine.

He also delivered several series of clinical lectures at the royal infirmary. He possessed in a rare degree the faculty of presenting an abstract subject in a clear and attractive light, and his lectures, which were nearly extemporaneous, seldom failed to excite the interest and even the enthusiasm of his pupils. It is said that the class in materia medica, which under the former professor, Alston, a man of great learning, had not exceeded 10, was at once increased by Cullen to over 100. His works are: "First Lines of the Practice of Physic" (1775), containing his system of the nature and cure of diseases, which superseded that of Boerhaave; "Institutions of Medicine" (1777); Synopsis Nosologies Methodical (1780); a "Treatise of the Materia Medica" (1789); and some minor miscellaneous publications. The first of these were translated into several languages, and went through many editions. His clinical lectures were also published after his death, probably from notes taken by one of his pupils.