David Clerk

(fl. 1746-1768)
Physician-in-Ordinary to the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh

David Clerk studied anatomy under Alexander Monro "primus" between 1742 and 1745, was admitted as a member of the Royal Medical Society in 1743, and graduated from the University in 1746 with the degree of MD for a dissertation on rheumatism. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and in 1751 was one of the first two Physicians-in-Ordinary appointed to the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh; he held this post until his death in 1768 and was succeeded for a short period by John Hope, Professor of Botany in the University.

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Two years before his appointment, while he was already a member of the Board of Management and at the request of the Board, Clerk had designed a crest for the Royal Infirmary; it was used as its seal until 1914, when the heraldry was held to be erroneous and was corrected under the direction of the Lord Lyon King of Arms.

In 1751 Clerk presented the College Library with 176 volumes of classical works 'as a testimony of his regards for this University in which he had received his education'. Among them were six incunabula and a copy of the first volume of the Aldine edition of Ovid's works (Venice: 1502), including "Metamorphoses", which is embellished with MS decoration and illumination.