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He was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] in 1798, his proposers being [[Andrew Duncan, the elder|Andrew Duncan]], John Hill and [[Thomas Charles Hope]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=7 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In the early 19th century the University of Edinburgh was regarded as the best medical school<ref name="JohnMunroSurgeon">{{cite book| title=Oxford Companion to Scottish History| year=2007| pages=141–142| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=65A-KFw1GU8C&q=Alexander+Monro| editor-first=Michael| editor-last=Lynch| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0-19-923482-0| access-date=2015-07-14}}</ref> in the [[United Kingdom]] despite the fact that its reputation had declined from its heyday in the [[The Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] of the 18th century. The University had been founded as the Town's College and was still governed by the Town Council. Two thirds of the professors were appointed by the [[Tory]]-controlled Council on the basis of their party list subject to approval by the [[Church of Scotland|Kirk]], with little regard for ability. In some cases families treated the university chairs as hereditary, and critics alleged that Alexander Monro III exemplified the "mediocrity" this could produce. His manner was described as "unimpassioned indifference" and lectures were known to degenerate into riots.<ref name="Clair1964"/>
Monro took little pride in his personal appearance and was described by contemporaries as dishevelled, scruffy and even dirty.<ref name="Clair1964"/> This was an era when many in medicine considered cleanliness to be finicking and affected. "An executioner might as well manicure his nails before chopping off a head."<ref name="
During Monro's tenure as Professor of Anatomy, Edinburgh was rocked by scandal due to the notorious "[[Burke and Hare murders]]" in which healthy individuals were intentionally killed in order to supply cadavers for dissection by anatomy lecturers and their students. One of the murderers, [[Burke and Hare murders|William Burke]], was [[hanged]] on 28 January 1829, after which he was famously dissected at the [[Edinburgh Medical College]] by Monro.<ref>{{cite book |last=Howard |first=Amanda |author2=Martin Smith |title=River of Blood: Serial Killers and Their Victims |publisher=[[Universal Publishers (United States)|Universal]] |date=15 August 2004 |chapter=William Burke and William Hare |isbn=1-58112-518-6 |page=54 }}</ref> In a letter, Monro dipped his quill pen into Burke's blood and wrote, "This is written with the blood of Wm Burke, who was hanged at Edinburgh. This blood was taken from his head."<ref>{{cite book |last=Rosner |first=Lisa |title=The Anatomy Murders |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |date=5 October 2009 |isbn=978-0-8122-4191-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/anatomymurdersbe00rosn |url-access=registration }}</ref>
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In 1841 Dr [[Robert Halliday Gunning]] came to Edinburgh to oversee Monro's anatomy rooms and work as his assistant.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/research_awards/prizes/prize_lists/gunning_victoria_history.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=18 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822105053/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/research_awards/prizes/prize_lists/gunning_victoria_history.pdf |archive-date=22 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Monro died at [[Craiglockhart]] House, south-west of [[Edinburgh]] on 10 March 1859 and is buried in ''Lord's Row'' against the western wall of [[Dean Cemetery]].
==Notable Students==
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Teaching in the heyday of Edinburgh's medical prominence his pupils included several eminent physicians:<ref>Kay's Originals vol.2 p.452</ref>
*[[William Alison]]
*[[Robert Christison]]
*[[
*[[Robert Liston]]
*[[James Syme]]
*[[Thomas Stewart Traill]]
==Publications==
*''Crural Hernia''
*''Modified [[Smallpox]]''
*''Morbid Anatomy of the Gullet, Stomach and Intestines''
*''Morbid Anatomy of the Brain''
*''Elements of Anatomy''
==Family==
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In the 1830s he was living, with his large family and first wife, at 1 Great Stuart Street on the Moray Estate in [[Edinburgh]]'s west end.<ref>{{cite web| title=The Post Office Annual Directory for 1832-1833| url=http://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/pageturner.cfm?id=83401263&mode=transcription| publisher=Secretary to the General Post-Office for Scotland| year=1832| page=139| access-date=2015-07-14}}</ref> The house stands on a prominent corner partly facing the gardens of Moray Place. Monro's neighbour (at 3 Great Stuart Street) was Dr [[Robert Christison]].
His son Sir [[David Monro (New Zealand politician)|David Monro]] made a career as a politician in New Zealand, and was the second [[Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives]].<ref name="DNZB Monro">{{DNZB |Wright-St Clair |Rex |1M48 |Monro, David – Biography |14 July 2015}}</ref>
His daughter, Maria Monro, married John Inglis, advocate (1783-1847) son of [[John Inglis (Royal Navy officer)|Admiral John Inglis]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archive.stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk/InglisJohn.html |title=The Episcopal Congregation of Charlotte Chapel, 1792-1818 |access-date=2 September 2018 |archive-date=7 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907024653/http://archive.stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk/InglisJohn.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Their grandchildren included [[John Alexander Inglis]].<ref>Inscription on Inglis grave, Colinton churchyard</ref>
His daughter Catherine Monro was the first wife of [[John James Stuart of Allanbank]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Catherine-Steuart/6000000014416056022|title = Catherine Steuart| date=2 May 2022 }}</ref>
His son Alexander Monro was a Captain in the Rifle Brigade; James Monro was assistant surgeon on the [[Scots Greys]]; Henry Monro was a land-owner in [[New Zealand]]; William Monro was a lieutenant in the [[79th Highlanders]]. His third daughter married George Skene, son of [[James Skene]] of Rubislaw.<ref>Kay's Originals vol.2 p.452</ref>
==In popular culture==
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