Biography of Thomas Cartan

Thomas Cartan graduated MD from the University of Glasgow in 1818. He had served as a Surgeon to the 15th Hussars at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.

Cartan began his military service in April 1807 as Assistant Staff Surgeon. He will have completed an initial medical qualification prior to this, although exactly where and when is unknown. He went on to serve as Assistant Surgeon to the 7th Garrison Battalion from August 1807, and to the 40th Foot from 1808. In this position he served in the Peninsula from 1810 until 1814. At the time of Waterloo, Cartan held the position of Surgeon to the 15th Hussars. He was present at many significant battles of the time, including Badajoz (1812), Salamanca (1812) and Vittoria (1813).

Soon after Waterloo, Cartan embarked on an MD course at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1818. He took many classes, including Botany, Anatomy, Surgery, Materia Medica and Chemistry.

In September 1818 he was positioned as Surgeon to the 8th Foot, and in 1826 began work as a physician. Later that year, Cartan died whilst on passage to Sierra Leone.

Summary

Thomas Cartan
Died 1826.
University Link: Graduate
GU Degree: MD, 1818;
Occupation categories: Royal Army Medical Corps
Record last updated: 16th Jun 2015

University Connections

University Roles

• Graduate [View Thomas Cartan's record in the list of graduates]

Images

Thomas Cartan, signature in Register of Doctors of Medicine, 1818