William Wright (1735–1819)

Like many great men associated with apparent and he treated locals and the College, William Wright was even some nuns before the Spanish both a physician and botanist, but, authorities felt that he and his unlike his peers, he had more companions should be moved across adventures. Born and schooled in the border to Portugal. En route the Crieff, Perthshire, he was prisoners escaped, stole a boat and apprenticed to a Falkirk surgeon, reached Faro, where they took a George Dennistoun, at the age of freighter which arrived in Falmouth 17. In 1756 he attended the just before Christmas 1780. University of Edinburgh and the following year sailed to Greenland In 1782 Wright sailed for Jamaica as a ship’s surgeon on a whaler. with what was left of his regiment, only to find that Admiral Rodney had In January 1758 Wright presented been victorious against the French himself for examination at the and the troops were no longer Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh and was needed. Once there, he tried to subsequently appointed surgeon’s replace the encyclopaedic botanical mate on a Royal Navy warship. He works he had lost in the wars and saw action at the Île de Rhé, Gibraltar captivity. He returned to Perthshire and de la Clue and shared the prize Engraving of William Wright by WH in 1785 to regain his health and money of the HMS Raisonnable, on Lizars from a miniature by John Caldwell. moved to Edinburgh a year which Horatio Nelson later began later. Although he was nominated for his naval career. While his ship was While travelling back to England in Hope’s Chair of Botany he refused to having a refit, Wright submitted 1777 he ‘caught a malignant fever stand against Daniel Rutherford and himself for re-examination at from a seaman’ which he self-treated instead tutored students and Surgeons’ Hall before his with douches of cold sea water – corresponded with no less than promotion to the HMS Danae. something he had previously used 260 academic acquaintances. in patients with tetanus. Between 1759 and 1760 he worked Wright went to the West Indies one ashore in hospitals at Port Royal In London he furthered his more time, as physician to an and St Pierre, continuing his studies knowledge of obstetrics, botany expedition led by Ralph Abercromby. of scurvy – which he attributed to and medicine and made many For two years, until 1798, he practised dirt, drink and bad food – before influential friends. Back in Edinburgh medicine and pursued his botanical being paid off and returning home he attended lectures by William work in Barbados, cataloguing plants in 1763. Already qualified as a Cullen, Alexander Monro secundus and listing the medical conditions he surgeon, he graduated MD in and Joseph Black and became, encountered. Afterwards, Edinburgh absentia at St Andrews. with them, one of the founding became his base, with annual tours members of the Edinburgh of the West Highlands. In 1801 In 1764, Wright set off for Jamaica, Philosophical Society (later the Wright was made a Fellow of the intending to set up in practice there, Royal Society of Edinburgh). RCPE, only three years before he but there were already too many became its President. doctors. He became an assistant to By 1779 he was on his travels again, one and six months later joined a this time as Regimental Surgeon to Derek Doyle former classmate on a sugar the Jamaica Regiment (an appointment Obituaries Editor, RCPE plantation 150 miles from Kingston, procured for him by Banks). He Further reading investing their savings in slaves. In sailed from Portsmouth in what 1771 they built a new house, today would be called a convoy of • Wright W. Memoir of the late William Wright, M.D. Edinburgh and London: William Orange Hill, where Wright started 55 unarmed vessels protected by Blackwood; 1828. his major botanical studies. He three Royal Navy warships. All of • Banks J, Wright W. Description of the identified and classified 760 species, them were captured by the Jesuits bark tree of Jamaica and the sending many live specimens to Kew combined French and Spanish fleets. Caribbees. Phil Trans R Soc Lond 1777; and dried ones to Joseph Banks. Wright was made a prisoner, put 67:504–6. doi:10.1098/rstl.1777.0028 history • Wright W, Brocklesby R. Description and In 1774 he was appointed Surgeon- ashore at Cadiz and made to walk use of the cabbage-bark tree of Jamaica. General of Jamaica and reported to Guadalete in southern Spain. Phil Trans R Soc Lond 1777; 67:507–12. a native species of cinchona. Here his clinical skills became doi:10.1098/rstl.1777.0029