British Scientists Of The Nineteenth Century

by J.G. Crowther

BRITISH SCIENTISTS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY J. G. CROWTHER By the same author THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE THE ABC OF CHEMISTRY AN OUTLINE OF THE UNIVERSE SCIENCE FOR YOU SHORT STORIES IN SCIENCE OSIRIS AND THE ATOM SCIENCE IN SOVIET RUSSIA INDUSTRY EDUCATION IN SOVIET RUSSIA CONTENTS INTRODUCTION I. HUMPHRY DAVY, 1778-1829 II. MICHAEL FARADAY, 1791-1867 III. JAMES PRESCOTT JOULE, 1818-1889 IV. WILLIAM THOMSON, 1824-1907 V. JAMES CLERK MAXWELL, 1831-1879 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX PLATES JAMES CLERK MAXWELL Frontispiece FACING PAGE HUMPHRY DAVY, AGED 23 SIR HUMPHRY DAVY MICHAEL FARADAY MICHAEL FARADAY AND HIS WIFE SARAH JAMES PRESCOTT JOULE WILLIAM THOMSON, AGED 22 SIR WILLIAM THOMSON LORD AND LADY KELVIN JAMES CLERK MAXWELL, AGED 6 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL, AGED 10 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL, AGED 10 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL AS A YOUNG MAN INTRODUCTION Scientists of the nineteenth century are appearing in a new perspective as they recede into the past. It is now possible to recognise aspects of their work not wholly visible to their contemporaries. This book was started with the intention of using the new opportunity to discuss some of these aspects. Inspiration was also derived from the instructive essay on The Social and Economic Roots of Newtons Principia communicated by Professor Hessen to the International Congress on the History of Science in 1931. Professor Hessen discussed in a manner not hitherto seen in English literature the relation between Newtons ideas and the social characteristics of his time. The first intention was to include about twenty scientists, but presently it became clear that the more remarkable could not be usefully discussed in short essays. It was also proposed to choose equal numbers of physical, bio logical, and medical scientists. A difficulty then arose. Investigation showed there were very few great British medical scientists in the nineteenth century, and that the number of great biologists was much smaller than the number of great physical scientists, of which Davy, Fara day, Joule, Thomson, and Maxwell appeared to be the most important. These have been chosen as the subjects. Dalton was excluded because he was already mature in the eighteenth century, and Rayleigh because he was too close to the twentieth. The rarity of important British medical scientists in the nineteenth century is noticeable. This may be due to the exclusiveness of the medical profession. They considered medicine an art distinct from science, and conducted their educational colleges apart from the universities. The theory of medicine was taught perfunctorily and the student hurried on to the empirical training in the hos pital. This utilitarian attitude was connected with the nature of the organisation of medical service. The private hospitals and doctors reflected the narrow views, common though not universal, in private institutions. In addition, the sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics were not developed enough to provide easy methods of investigating the complexities of human physiology.

Genres: Science

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

James Gerald Crowther (26 September 1899, Halifax–1983) was one of the founders of science journalism. He was appointed the scientific correspondent of The Manchester Guardian in 1928.

James was the second child of James Crowther, the principal of Halifax Technical School, and his wife, Alice, (née Ainscow), a music teacher. In his youth he knew Ralph Fox who introduced him marxism.

Crowther attended Bradford Grammar School, where he met Ralph Fox who introduced him marxism. He also developed a sufficient interest in mathematics to gain a scholarship to study mathematics and physics at Trinity College, Cambridge. However his arrival there was delayed by the war, as he spent some time with Archibald Hill, applying a scientific approach to anti-aircraft gunnery. During the time he spent with the Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section of the Munitions Inventions Department he gained experience of scientific research.

When he arrived at Trinity College he became friends with A. L. Rowse.

On 7 March 1923 Albert Inkpin enrolled Crowther in the Communist Party of Great Britain.

In 1924 he married Dora Amy Royle de Bude and then started work for Oxford University Press as a travelling salesman selling technical books. He was thus able to support Dora and her six year old daughter.

He was appointed a commissioning editor for Oxford University Press by Humphrey Sumner Milford. In 1934 he married Franziscka Zarniko who he met in the USSR whilst visiting the Ukrainian Institute of Physics and Technology (UIPT) in 1932. Franziscka, who had ambitions to become a film maker was the German sister of Barbara Ruhemann, a physicist at UIPT, married to Martin Ruhemann. A third sister Jutte had married Kurt Mendelssohn.

Crowther remained in correspondence with the Russian physicist Boris Hessen following his visit to London as part of the Soviet delegation to the Second International Congress of the History of Science. This continued until Hessen's murder in the great purge during 1936.

On retirement he moved to Flamborough Head, Yorkshire.