John Burns, M.D.     John Burns, M.D., University of Glasgow, 1821   John Burns, educated at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, was one of the first surgeons appointed to the Infirmary, and in May 1797, obtained the managers' permission to deliver a series of clinical surgical lectures. He was surgeon/lecturer from 1797 - 1798 but due to his association with grave robbing in order to obtain subjects for anatomical dissection, was not re-appointed until 1808-1809 Pioneers in the development of the University of Glasgow  Medical School The development of the medical school of the University owed much to a determined group of pioneers. The brothers Allan and John Burns were skilful anatomists. John Burns had introduced surgery into the curriculum, essential in military service where amputations were common, and became the first professor of Surgery in 1815. In the same year, James Towers became the first professor of Midwifery and laid the foundations of hospital medical care in the City. The Crown established further chairs, in Materia Medica, Physiology and Forensic Medicine in the 1830s.