John Carson (physician)

John Carson (1752-1843) was a Scottish physician and physiologist known for his research on the circulation of blood in the lungs and the effects of different pressures on the pulmonary system. Born in Falkirk, Scotland, he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1773. He subsequently practiced medicine in Liverpool.

Carson's most significant contributions to medicine centered on his experiments concerning the elasticity of the lungs and the effects of vacuum applied to the chest cavity. He investigated the difference in circulation between the lungs inside and outside the chest cavity. He famously demonstrated that the lungs collapse when the chest cavity is opened to atmospheric pressure, a critical insight into understanding pneumothorax.

His principal work, Essays on the Circulation of the Blood in the Lungs, published in 1820, detailed his experimental findings and theoretical interpretations. This work was influential in advancing the understanding of respiration and thoracic physiology. Although his conclusions were not universally accepted in his time, his meticulous experimental methods and detailed observations laid the groundwork for later investigations into pulmonary function.

Carson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1822. He remained a respected physician and researcher throughout his career, contributing significantly to the physiological knowledge base of the 19th century.