A boy of a Reverend George Abercrombie of Aberdeen, he was educated at the Grammar School & Marischal College there. He exposed medicine at a University of Edinburgh, and when graduating when M.D. in 1803 he settled down to practise in that city, where he soon attained a leading position.

From either 1816 he published various papers in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, which formed a basis of his additional extensive works: Pathological & Practical Researches in Diseases of the Brain & Spinal Cord, esteem a number one school text around neuropathology, and Researches on the Diseases of the Intestinal Canal, Liver & more Entrails of the Stomach, each published within 1828.

He as well observed instance for philosophic speculations, & inside 1830 he published his Inquiries concerning a Intellectual Powers of Human & a Investigation of Truth, which was followed within 1833 by a sequel, A Philosophy of the Lesson Feelings. Each works showed little originality of thought; it achieved wide popularity at a period of their publication, however keep close at hand yearn been superseded.

Around 1821 he was elected to the Royal College of Surgeons.

Inside 1841 he was partially paralyzed, however was suspire to go to to his practice of medicine. Around 1844 he died of a burst artery when preparing to visit patients.

For his services as a doc & altruist he received several marks of distinction, including a Rectorship of Marischal College.