The Harveian Society of Edinburgh elects a President on an annual basis. The Society has two Secretaries who are appointed for an unlimited term of office. The following sections list the office bearers of the Society and the Harveian Orations in chronological order. Four Harveian Orations were delivered prior to formation of the Society and from 1782 to 1831 the Oration was given at irregular intervals at the Harveian Festival and generally by one of the Secretaries. Since then the Harveian Orations have generally been delivered annually by the President.

Harveian Orations before the Society was formed Year Harveian Orator Title of Harveian Oration 1778 Dr. Andrew Duncan "De laudibus Gulielmi Harvei Oratio" 1779 Dr. Charles Webster "Life and writings of the celebrated Dr. Archibald Pitcairne" 1780 Dr. Andrew Duncan "Life and writings of the late Alex. Monro, Senr., M.D., F.R.S." 1781 Dr. Andrew Duncan "Life, writings and character of the late Dr. Robert Whytt"

1780s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1780s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1782 Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Andrew Duncan No oration 1783 Mr. Alexander Wood Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1784 Mr. Thomas Hay Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster "Life, writings and character of the late Dr. David Macbride of Dublin." Orator: Dr. Andrew Duncan 1785 Dr Alexander Monro "Secundus" Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster "Life, writings and character of the late Sir John Pringle, Baronet." Orator: Dr. Charles Webster 1786 Mr. William Inglis Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1787 Dr. Daniel Rutherford Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster "The life, writings and character of the late Dr. John Gregory." Orator: Dr. Charles Webster 1788 Mr. Andrew Wood Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster "Life, writings and character of the late Dr. John Hope, Professor of Botany in the University of Edinburgh." Orator: Dr. Andrew Duncan 1789 Dr. Nathan Spens Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration

1790s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1790s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1790 Mr. Forrest Dewar Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1791 Dr. James Hamilton 'Senior' Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1792 Mr. Benjamin Bell Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1793 Dr. Francis Home Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1794 Dr. Andrew Wardrop Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster No oration 1795 Mr. Thomas Wood Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Charles Webster "The life, writings and character of the late John Hunter, Esq., Surgeon of London." Orator: Dr William Brown 1796 Dr. William Farquharson Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1797 Dr. Andrew Inglis Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1798 Dr. James Home Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1799 Dr. William Brown Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration

1800s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1800s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1800 Dr. Thomas Charles Hope Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1801 Mr. George Wood Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1802 Mr. James Bryce Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell "Account of Vesalius." Orator: Dr. William Farquharson 1803 Mr. Alexander Wood* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1804 Mr. Andrew Wood* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1805 Dr. William Farquharson* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1806 Dr. James Home* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1807 Dr. John Walker Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1808 Dr. Thomas Spens Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1809 Mr. George Wood* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration

Denotes that the individual was serving as President for the second time

1810s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1810s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1810 Dr. Thomas Anderson Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1811 Dr. Andrew Duncan "The Younger" Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1812 Dr. Thomas Cochrane Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1813 Dr. Charles Anderson Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1814 Mr. Forrest Dewar* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. John Bell No oration 1815 Dr. John Barclay Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration 1816 Dr. Thomas Charles Hope* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration 1817 Mr. John Wishart Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration 1818 Dr. Daniel Rutherford* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce "Life, writings and character of Dr. Munro, Sec." Orator: Dr Andrew Duncan 1819 Dr. John Barclay* Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration

Denotes that the individual was serving as President for the second time

1820s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1820s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1820 Mr. Alexander Gillespie Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration 1821 Mr. William Wood Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce "A short account of the late Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society of London." Orator: Dr Andrew Duncan 1822 Dr. James Buchan Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration 1823 Mr. William Newbigging Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce No oration 1824 Dr. George Ballingall Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce "Tribute of regard to the memory of Sir Henry Raeburn." Orator: Dr Andrew Duncan 1825 Dr. Robert Graham Dr. Andrew Duncan Mr. James Bryce "Tribute to the memory of the late Dr. Matthew Baillie of London." Orator: Dr Andrew Duncan 1826 Dr. George Borthwick Dr. Andrew Duncan No oration 1827 Dr. John MacWhirter Dr. Andrew Duncan No oration 1828 Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Andrew Duncan Dr. Richard Huie "Tribute to the memory of the late Dr. James Millar, a Member of the Society." Orator: Dr Richard Huie (read in absentia) 1829 Dr. Robert Hamilton Dr. Richard Huie Dr. William Moncrieff§ "Tribute of respect for the memory of the late Dr. Andrew Duncan, snr., Founder of the Society." Orator: Dr Richard Huie

§ Dr. Moncrieff was appointed physician to the New Town Dispensary, Edinburgh on 1 December 1817 and physician to the Royal Public Dispensary in January 1822. On 12 December 1823 he applied for the vacant position of physician to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. In 1827, Dr. Moncrieff was Librarian of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

1830s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1830s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1830 Dr. George Ballingall* Dr. Richard Huie Dr. William Moncrieff§ "The life and professional labours of the illustrious Harvey." Orator: Dr Richard Huie 1831 Dr. John Campbell Dr. Richard Huie Dr. William Moncrieff No oration 1832 Dr. Richard Huie* Dr. Richard Huie Dr. William Moncrieff "Progress of medical science in the last fifty years." 1833 Dr. David Maclagan Dr. Richard Huie Dr. William Moncrieff No oration 1834 Dr. William Alison Dr. Richard Huie Dr. William Moncrieff "A few remarks on Medical Education." 1835 Dr. Adam Hunter Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Richard Poole No oration 1836 Dr. William Moncrieff Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Richard Poole "Memoir of the late Dr. James Buchan, F.R.C.P." Orator: Dr. David Maclagan 1837 Dr. Robert Christison Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Richard Poole "Memoir of the late Dr. Edward Turner, Professor of Chemistry in London University." 1838 Mr. William Newbigging* Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Memoir of the late Dr. James Hamilton Sen. M.D." 1839 Dr. William Beilby Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Biographical notice of the late Dr. Kellie of Leith."

Denotes that the individual was serving as President for the second time

§Dr. Moncrieff was appointed physician to the New Town Dispensary, Edinburgh on 1 December 1817 and was appointed physician to the Royal Public Dispensary in January 1822. On 12 December 1823 he applied for a vacant position of physician to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. In 1827, Dr. Moncrieff was Librarian of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

1840s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1840s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1840 Dr. Robert Lewins Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Medical Science in Austria compared with Great Britain." 1841 Dr. James Simson Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Memoir of the late Dr. Duncan, jnr." 1842 Dr. Thomas Traill Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Note of Servetus' claims to the discovery of the circulation of the blood, together with an account of the Finnish and Russian vapour baths." 1843 Dr. John Thatcher Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Sketch of the history of Midwifery as a Science and an Art." 1844 Mr. William Brown Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Sketch of the Life of his father, Dr Wm Brown, F.R.C.S."§ 1845 Mr. Alexander Cockburn R.N. Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Biographical sketch of the late Dr. Thomas Trotter, Physician to the British Fleet." 1846 Dr. Charles Ransford Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Biographical sketch of Dr. Graham, late Professor of Botany." 1847 Dr. John Scott Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Biographical memoir of Laennec." 1848 Dr. James Young Simpson Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Sketch of the good old times of the medical profession in Scotland." 1849 Dr. Samuel Pagan Dr. Richard Huie Dr. Peter Handyside "Notes of a case - tic douloureux - by John Locke, with an account of his medical studies and practice." Orator: Dr. John Brown § Dr. William Brown Senior was President of the Society in 1799 and a booklet on his life, which presumably formed the basis of this oration, was published originally in 1819 and reprinted in 1854.

1850s + List of Office Bearers and Harveian Orations during the 1850s Year President Secretary Secretary Title of Harveian Oration 1850 Dr. John Smith Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "Account of Scotch Asylums." 1851 Dr. Richard Smith Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "Progress of cholera during the last epidemic at Lasswade and Loanhead." 1852 Prof. John Balfour Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "History and progress of the Botanic Garden of Edinburgh." 1853 Dr. William Seller Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "History, in a medical point of view, of the year 1654, the year in which Harvey, towards the close of his life, was elected President of the London College of Physicians." 1854 Dr. Douglas Maclagan Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "Life, character and writings of the late Dr. Abercrombie of Edinburgh." 1855 Mr. James Craig Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "Judicial investigations in criminal cases." 1856 Dr. Robert Malcolm Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "Rise and progress of the Edinburgh School of Midwifery." 1857 Dr.Archibald Inglis Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "The difficulty of estimating the therapeutical value of medicinal agents." 1858 Mr. Henry Sanderson Dr. Robert Omond Dr. John Hughes Bennett "Changes in medical opinions." 1859 Dr. John Hughes Bennett Dr. Robert Omond Dr. William Seller "Recent medical changes, especially in the Department of Physiology."

1860s