Journal of Medical Biography > Volume 16, Number 3 > Pp. 128-133

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kaufman, M. H Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Physicians

William Gregory (1803–58): Professor of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and enthusiast for Phrenology and Mesmerism

Matthew H Kaufman  

Correspondence: Professor Matthew H Kaufman, 5 Moston Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 2DE, UK (email: professor.kaufman{at}yahoo.co.uk)

William Gregory was descended from a long line of academics. Although he graduated in medicine, he had earlier determined on a career in Chemistry but more particularly to succeed Professor Thomas Charles Hope in the Edinburgh Chair in that discipline. At various times during the 1830s and 1840s he studied Chemistry at Giessen in Germany under Professor Justus Liebig and was closely associated with him over the succeeding years, translating and editing in all seven of his books. Gregory taught initially in London, at the Edinburgh Extra-mural School, in Dublin, at the Andersonian University, Glasgow and as Mediciner and Professor of Chemistry in Aberdeen. In 1844 he was appointed to the Chair of Chemistry in Edinburgh and remained in this post until his death in 1858. Shortly after he graduated he joined the Edinburgh Phrenological Society (he was initially its Secretary and later President) and took a particularly active role in the meetings of this Society and in the Aberdeen Phrenological Society. He was also interested in the phenomena of Mesmerism and Mesmero-Phrenology, despite the agitation and scorn of many of his academic colleagues both in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?