Chiene was born at Howard Place in Edinburgh on 25 February 1843, the son of George Todd Chiene, a
chartered accountant. He attended
Edinburgh Academy from 1854 to 1860, gaining prizes in mathematics. While at school at the Academy he was a friend of author
Robert Louis Stevenson. He then studied medicine in various prestigious centres of learning:
Paris,
Berlin and
Vienna before qualifying MD with honours at the University of Edinburgh in 1865. He served as house surgeon to Professor
James Syme in the
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and then worked as a demonstrator in anatomy under professor
John Goodsir. In 1867 he became a Fellow of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He then became a lecturer in surgery at the extra-mural medical school, where he established his reputation as a teacher. At the same time he worked at the New Town Dispensary, then relocated from Thistle Street to 13 York Place. In 1871 he was appointed to the
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as an Assistant Surgeon under Professor
Joseph Lister, He was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1874, his main proposer being Sir
Robert Christison. In 1892 he was elected a member of the
Aesculapian Club. From 1882 to 1909 he performed a critical and hugely influential role as Professor of Surgery at the
University of Edinburgh, replacing Professor
James Spence in this role. His candidature received letters of support both from
Joseph Lister and
Louis Pasteur. He was succeeded in the Chair of Surgery by
Professor Henry Alexis Thomson. In 1900 he is listed as living at 26
Charlotte Square, one of Edinburgh's most prestigious addresses, and the part of the central pavilion on the south side. He was elected President of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for 1897 to 1899. His life-long friend,
Sir John Halliday Croom was also his neighbour, living at 25
Charlotte Square. In the
Boer War he served as Consulting Surgeon to the Field Forces in
South Africa. At this time the government then paid him the huge sum of £5000 per annum. His service was recognised by his appointment in 1902 s a
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). He died in Edinburgh on 29 May 1923. He is buried in
Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh, just south-west of the main entrance with his wife Elizabeth Mary Lyall (1843-1932), and children, Fanny (d.1900) and George L. Chiene FRCSEd (1873-1951). ==Sporting recognition==