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Daniel John Cunningham—a multifaceted person: Anatomist, Author, Anthropologist, Academician and an Able Administrator

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Abstract

Daniel John Cunningham was born on 15 April 1850 in Scotland. After his initial schooling at his home town, Crieff, he took up the study of medicine at the University of Edinburgh and passed with honours. He is best known for the excellent series of dissection manuals, namely Cunningham’s Dissection Manuals. Apart from this, he also produced many scientific contributions not only in the field of descriptive anatomy but also in comparative anatomy, evolution, anthropology and anthropometry. He was also a very able administrator, not only of medical schools but also in other Governmental departments, scientific journals, zoological gardens and other societies. He was also passionate about animals and gardens. He was a much respected man at both the cities of Edinburgh and Dublin. Above all, he strove for excellence with a human touch and his colleagues remembered him as a great human being. He passed away on 23 June 1909 at his home in Edinburgh.

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Notes

  1. The Thylacine (Tasmanian Wolf/Tiger) is considered now as extinct by the World Wild Life Fund (WWF) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is one of the best examples of parallel evolution.

  2. Cunningham’s lecture topic for this award was, ‘Right-Handedness and Left-Braininess’.

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Dr. Patil has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nidoni has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mahesh has nothing to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Basaveshwara Medical College, Chitradurga, 577502, Karnataka, India

    S. Patil & G. M. Mahesh

  2. Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, SJM Dental College and Hospital, Chitradurga, 577501, Karnataka, India

    M. Nidoni

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Patil, S., Nidoni, M. & Mahesh, G.M. Daniel John Cunningham—a multifaceted person: Anatomist, Author, Anthropologist, Academician and an Able Administrator. Ir J Med Sci 183, 489–492 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-014-1076-5

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