Alexander Wood

Modern syringe made entirely of glass, essentially identical to Wood's, except for the volume markings.

Alexander Wood (10 December 181726 February 1884) was a Scottish physician. He invented the first true hypodermic syringe. He served as President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh from 1858 to 1861.

Life The son of Dr John Wood and his wife Mary Wood (John' cousin), He was educated at Edinburgh Academy from 1825 to 1832, and then studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh (MD 1839).

From qualification he worked at the Stockbridge Dispensary near his Edinburgh home. By 1840 he was working as a surgeon and living in his late father's house at 19 Royal Circus. From 1841 he lectured in medicine at the Extra Mural School connected to the University of Edinburgh.

In 1845 Wood was elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh and served as President in 1868.

In 1853, he invented the first hypodermic needle that used a true syringe and hollow needle. Wood referred to his invention as "subcutaneous" rather than "hypodermic". The term "hypodermic" was actually coined by the English doctor Charles Hunter, whose developments of Wood's invention and research into the method of administering pain relief angered Wood. Wood believed that injections should be directly into the area where pain was felt, because the effect could only be local, whereas Hunter argued that the injection could be given anywhere and had a general effect. The medical community supported Hunter's hypothesis, though it is Wood who has been better remembered subsequently.

In 1863 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being James David Forbes.

Wood was buried with his wife, Rebecca Massey, in Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. The grave lies on an east-facing section of the obscured southern terrace. The gravestone corroborates a later date for his wife's death, on 6 February 1895.

Family

In 1842 he married Rebecca Massey.

It is, however, a false rumour that Rebecca Massey was the first known intravenous morphine addict and died of an overdose delivered by her husband's invention; Richard Davenport-Hines says, 'It is a myth: she outlived him, and survived until 1895.'

Recognition

The Very Rev Thomas Brown wrote a biography of Wood, entitled A Sketch of the Life and Work of Alexander wood MD FRCP in 1886.