On the 31st of March, 1928, Scotland beat England by five goals to one, at Wembley.
Scotland doesn't have much to celebrate in the way of sporting success, particularly of late, which means the early years of the 21st Century. Indeed, it hasn't had much to cheer about that amounts to a track record, ever. Oh yes, there have been many stirring individual successes, but on the national, representative team front, there's been very little to gloat about, in any sport. From Eric Liddell to Alan Wells; Ian Stewart to Liz McColgan; Ecurie Ecosse to Jim Clark; Aberdeen FC winning the Cup Winners' Cup, against the odds, in '83; from Graham Obree and the benighted man of Hoy to [add your own, here... ___ ], we have had our fair share of stellar moments.
Sadly, against that pantheon of achievement, there are
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Friday, 30 March 2012
William Hunter, pioneering obstetrician and anatomist
William Hunter, pioneering obstetrician and anatomist, died on the 30th of March, 1783.
William Hunter was a Scottish anatomist and physician who became one of the leaders in obstetric medicine in 18th Century London. He is recognised as one of the giants of medicine, a pioneer of the care that women receive during childbirth and as such, one of the 'founding fathers' of obstetrics, which, before Hunter, had been the domain of the midwife. Hunter's learned skill and methods helped elevate the discipline to a respected practice in medicine. Of course, in the 18th Century, the idea of a woman being involved in anything more complicated than mere nursing would've been scandalous, so only gentlemen had the opportunity, inclination and standing to practice such things. And practice is the key word, because
William Hunter was a Scottish anatomist and physician who became one of the leaders in obstetric medicine in 18th Century London. He is recognised as one of the giants of medicine, a pioneer of the care that women receive during childbirth and as such, one of the 'founding fathers' of obstetrics, which, before Hunter, had been the domain of the midwife. Hunter's learned skill and methods helped elevate the discipline to a respected practice in medicine. Of course, in the 18th Century, the idea of a woman being involved in anything more complicated than mere nursing would've been scandalous, so only gentlemen had the opportunity, inclination and standing to practice such things. And practice is the key word, because
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Ewen MacLachlan, poet and scholar
Ewen MacLachlan, the noted Gaelic poet, scholar and translator, died on the 29th of March, 1822.
Ewen MacLachlan was a Gaelic poet and a classical philologist of distinction, who was one of the most important figures in the preservation of Gaelic literature. MacLachlan was, undoubtedly, the foremost Gaelic scholar of his day and achieved renown for his translations of ancient classical literature into that language, particularly his translation of Homer, for his own Gaelic verse, and for his contribution to Gaelic dictionaries.
At time of his death, MacLachlan was engaged in two monumental tasks, one of which was, as an obvious consequence of his early death, never finished. That unfinished work was the translation of Homer’s Iliad into Gaelic heroic verse, of which he had by that time committed eight books to manuscript, experimenting with the metres of Gaelic ballads in the process. MacLachlan's other task was his significant contribution to the compiling of the Highland Society’s Dictionarium Scoto-Celticum, which was ultimately published in 1828. In that latter mammoth task, MacLachlan collaborated with the Revd. Dr. John MacLeod.
We know MacLachlan worked heroically on eight books of the Iliad, because a book, edited by John MacDonald, M.A., Reader in Celtic at the University of Aberdeen, was printed for the University of Aberdeen by R. Carruthers & Sons, Inverness, in 1937. That book was entitled: Ewen MacLachlan’s Gaelic verse, comprising a translation of Homer’s Iliad, Books I-VIII, and original compositions. Never mind it was only eight books, the effort and achievement were immense and the result astounding.
As a Gaelic scholar, in addition to the aforementioned dictionary, MacLachlan also undertook a study of the manuscripts of the Highland Society of Scotland and transcribed the fascinating anthology of Scottish and Irish poetry, the ‘Book of the Dean of Lismore’. His contribution to the Gaelic language cannot be underestimated, for not only did he produce some enormous translation efforts, he contributed a decent amount of his own, original work, in addition.
In 1798, when Alan (Dall) Macdougall’s Gaelic poems were printed in Edinburgh, some of MacLachlan's own were published along with them. Those included poems such as ‘Dáin nan Aimsirean’ (‘Songs of the Seasons’) and some translations. MacLachlan also composed and published his own Gaelic ‘in Verse’, in 1807. MacLachlan's Gaelic verse reveals classical influences, unsurprisingly, but there are also strains of some 18th Century Gaelic poets in there, too, most notably Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir, and Alasdair and Donnchadh Bán Mac an T-Saoir.
In 1816, a full volume of MacLachlan's own work appeared, entitled ‘Metrical Effusions’. That consisted of a number of Latin and English poems, several Gaelic poems, and one in Greek. MacLachlan is remembered as the last of that series of 18th Century poets whose writings are “among the chief ornaments” of the Scottish Gaelic tongue.
Without doubt, any account of the love-poetry of the Gael cannot be complete without reference to the ‘Ealaidh Ghaoil’ of Ewen MacLachlan. That was written, similarly to many of Burn’s songs, to expand upon a few lines and a chorus which, along with their air, he got “from some of the north country students in Aberdeen.” MacLachlan's poetry is also replete with the love of nature and some would say, equal to that of the likes of Wordsworth. See what you think; here is a verse (in English, mind, which is not the language in which it was written) from the ‘Ealaidh Ghaoil’...
“Not the swan on the lake, or the foam on the shore,
Can compare with the charms of the maid I adore;
Not so white is the new milk that flows o’er the pail,
Or the snow that is shower’d from the boughs of the vale.”
Ewen MacLachlan (Eòghan MacLachlainn) was born on the farm of Coiruanan (Torraculltuinn or Coruanan, near Onich) in Lochaber, in 1775. Soon after his birth, his parents flitted to Fort William, where Ewen was to receive his early education. At first, for several years after he'd left school, Ewen acted as tutor to the bairns of upper class families, locally. However, he continued to study during that period and, scholar that he was, studiously devoted his time to learning Greek and Latin. Ultimately, his efforts paid off as he won a scholarship to King’s College, at Aberdeen University, in 1796.
At King’s College, MacLachlan distinguished himself in the classics, and graduated with a Master of Arts, in 1800. Originally, Ewen had intended to become a minister and actually took a full course at the Divinity Hall. However, he was diverted from that course by the advice of friends of his, notably Professor Beattie, author of ‘The Minstrel’. Those friends, recognising his exceptional linguistic gifts, encouraged him to seek a Professorship, but Ewen MacLachlan never succeeded in rising to such exalted office.
MacLachlan did, however, become assistant librarian of King’s College, from 1800, whilst he was also the parish schoolmaster in Old Machar. MacLachlan became rector (headmaster) of the Old Aberdeen Grammar School in 1810 and held that position, along with the librarian’s post, until he died at the age of forty-seven, on the 29th of March, 1822. Ewen MacLachlan is commemorated by an obelisk at Fort William, Inverness-shire; you can find it just beyond the railway station.
Ewen MacLachlan was a Gaelic poet and a classical philologist of distinction, who was one of the most important figures in the preservation of Gaelic literature. MacLachlan was, undoubtedly, the foremost Gaelic scholar of his day and achieved renown for his translations of ancient classical literature into that language, particularly his translation of Homer, for his own Gaelic verse, and for his contribution to Gaelic dictionaries.
At time of his death, MacLachlan was engaged in two monumental tasks, one of which was, as an obvious consequence of his early death, never finished. That unfinished work was the translation of Homer’s Iliad into Gaelic heroic verse, of which he had by that time committed eight books to manuscript, experimenting with the metres of Gaelic ballads in the process. MacLachlan's other task was his significant contribution to the compiling of the Highland Society’s Dictionarium Scoto-Celticum, which was ultimately published in 1828. In that latter mammoth task, MacLachlan collaborated with the Revd. Dr. John MacLeod.
We know MacLachlan worked heroically on eight books of the Iliad, because a book, edited by John MacDonald, M.A., Reader in Celtic at the University of Aberdeen, was printed for the University of Aberdeen by R. Carruthers & Sons, Inverness, in 1937. That book was entitled: Ewen MacLachlan’s Gaelic verse, comprising a translation of Homer’s Iliad, Books I-VIII, and original compositions. Never mind it was only eight books, the effort and achievement were immense and the result astounding.
As a Gaelic scholar, in addition to the aforementioned dictionary, MacLachlan also undertook a study of the manuscripts of the Highland Society of Scotland and transcribed the fascinating anthology of Scottish and Irish poetry, the ‘Book of the Dean of Lismore’. His contribution to the Gaelic language cannot be underestimated, for not only did he produce some enormous translation efforts, he contributed a decent amount of his own, original work, in addition.
In 1798, when Alan (Dall) Macdougall’s Gaelic poems were printed in Edinburgh, some of MacLachlan's own were published along with them. Those included poems such as ‘Dáin nan Aimsirean’ (‘Songs of the Seasons’) and some translations. MacLachlan also composed and published his own Gaelic ‘in Verse’, in 1807. MacLachlan's Gaelic verse reveals classical influences, unsurprisingly, but there are also strains of some 18th Century Gaelic poets in there, too, most notably Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir, and Alasdair and Donnchadh Bán Mac an T-Saoir.
In 1816, a full volume of MacLachlan's own work appeared, entitled ‘Metrical Effusions’. That consisted of a number of Latin and English poems, several Gaelic poems, and one in Greek. MacLachlan is remembered as the last of that series of 18th Century poets whose writings are “among the chief ornaments” of the Scottish Gaelic tongue.
Without doubt, any account of the love-poetry of the Gael cannot be complete without reference to the ‘Ealaidh Ghaoil’ of Ewen MacLachlan. That was written, similarly to many of Burn’s songs, to expand upon a few lines and a chorus which, along with their air, he got “from some of the north country students in Aberdeen.” MacLachlan's poetry is also replete with the love of nature and some would say, equal to that of the likes of Wordsworth. See what you think; here is a verse (in English, mind, which is not the language in which it was written) from the ‘Ealaidh Ghaoil’...
“Not the swan on the lake, or the foam on the shore,
Can compare with the charms of the maid I adore;
Not so white is the new milk that flows o’er the pail,
Or the snow that is shower’d from the boughs of the vale.”
Ewen MacLachlan (Eòghan MacLachlainn) was born on the farm of Coiruanan (Torraculltuinn or Coruanan, near Onich) in Lochaber, in 1775. Soon after his birth, his parents flitted to Fort William, where Ewen was to receive his early education. At first, for several years after he'd left school, Ewen acted as tutor to the bairns of upper class families, locally. However, he continued to study during that period and, scholar that he was, studiously devoted his time to learning Greek and Latin. Ultimately, his efforts paid off as he won a scholarship to King’s College, at Aberdeen University, in 1796.
At King’s College, MacLachlan distinguished himself in the classics, and graduated with a Master of Arts, in 1800. Originally, Ewen had intended to become a minister and actually took a full course at the Divinity Hall. However, he was diverted from that course by the advice of friends of his, notably Professor Beattie, author of ‘The Minstrel’. Those friends, recognising his exceptional linguistic gifts, encouraged him to seek a Professorship, but Ewen MacLachlan never succeeded in rising to such exalted office.
MacLachlan did, however, become assistant librarian of King’s College, from 1800, whilst he was also the parish schoolmaster in Old Machar. MacLachlan became rector (headmaster) of the Old Aberdeen Grammar School in 1810 and held that position, along with the librarian’s post, until he died at the age of forty-seven, on the 29th of March, 1822. Ewen MacLachlan is commemorated by an obelisk at Fort William, Inverness-shire; you can find it just beyond the railway station.
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
The Treaty of Durham
James I, King of Scotland, sealed the Treaty of Durham, which saw his release from English captivity, on the 28th of March, 1423.
James I, King of Scots, and part time poet, was the first of the Jameses, but his real name was John. It was changed, because John was an unlucky name for a King, a notion harking back to John Balliol. James I was nominal King of Scots from April, 1406, when he was twelve. That was when his father, Robert III, also christened John and renamed for the same reason, had died. During his minority, his uncle Robert, the Duke of Albany ruled in his stead as he had done for James' ever weakening father. But that isn't the whole story, for James
James I, King of Scots, and part time poet, was the first of the Jameses, but his real name was John. It was changed, because John was an unlucky name for a King, a notion harking back to John Balliol. James I was nominal King of Scots from April, 1406, when he was twelve. That was when his father, Robert III, also christened John and renamed for the same reason, had died. During his minority, his uncle Robert, the Duke of Albany ruled in his stead as he had done for James' ever weakening father. But that isn't the whole story, for James
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Sir James Dewar
Sir James Dewar, chemist and physicist, died on the 27th of March, 1923.
When he was but a laddie, James Dewar built himself a violin, but that’s not what he’s famous for. Dewar never became a famous violin maker or luthier in the mould of a Stradivarius. However, Dewar became equally famous in his own field, physics, having turned his attention to more practical and pragmatic things. What Dewar is arguably most famous for, in Scotland and amongst chemists anyway, is the Dewar flask. Many Scots households would have owned a Dewar flask, known outside Scotland as a Thermos or vacuum flask. Dewar invented the Dewar flask in 1892, to aid him in his research work; primarily so that he could store liquified gases at extremely low temperatures.
Dewar's invention of the vacuum flask was not manufactured for commercial or home use until
When he was but a laddie, James Dewar built himself a violin, but that’s not what he’s famous for. Dewar never became a famous violin maker or luthier in the mould of a Stradivarius. However, Dewar became equally famous in his own field, physics, having turned his attention to more practical and pragmatic things. What Dewar is arguably most famous for, in Scotland and amongst chemists anyway, is the Dewar flask. Many Scots households would have owned a Dewar flask, known outside Scotland as a Thermos or vacuum flask. Dewar invented the Dewar flask in 1892, to aid him in his research work; primarily so that he could store liquified gases at extremely low temperatures.
Dewar's invention of the vacuum flask was not manufactured for commercial or home use until
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Dr. James Braid
Dr. James Braid, surgeon and ‘father of hypnosis’, died on the 25th of March, 1860.
The story of James Braid is a mesmerising tale, involving quackery and animal magnetism, and it has a charming ending. Along the way, Dr. Braid became entranced by the performances of mesmerists or mesmerisers. Braid's spellbound interest led his coining the term 'hypnosis', but later on, after seeing the other side of the coin, he decided the phenomenon should've been called 'monoideism' (meaning ‘one idea’ or ‘one thought’ – effectively ‘a concentration of the mind’). As you've never heard of 'monoideism', you'll appreciate that by then, it was too late and James Braid's terms of ‘hypnosis’ and ‘hypnotism’ retained the upper hand. Thankfully, you will add no doubt, because 'monoideism' is difficult to spell, difficult to read and – this is the key – difficult to pronounce, even when hypnotised. Hence, 'monoideism' never saw much of the light of day. It was a singularly daft name, anyway.
James Braid was born on his birthday in 1795, in Rylaw house, in the Kingdom of Fife. James studied in Edinburgh, where at first, he concerned himself extensively with surgery, writing on orthopaedics, the treatment of club foot, squint, and other surgical topics. Braid also published articles in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, like many of his contemporaries; such was the method of advance of medical science. After qualifying, Braid became the resident physician at the Leads-Hill mines in Lanarkshire. Later on, Braid moved to England, where he established a surgical practice of his own, in Manchester.
Braid's epiphany moment came in November, 1841, when he saw what was called a ‘conversazione’ by the Swiss chappie, M. Charles Lafontaine. Braid promptly developed a scientific interest in what Lafontaine had been practising, mesmerism or animal magnetism, as it was then called. Braid, a good solid, practical Scotsman, was sceptical at first, believing Lafontaine to have been some kind of charlatan, however, he later wrote, after observing more performances, “considered that to be a real phenomenon, and was anxious to discover the physiological cause of it.”
As a result of his professional curiosity, Braid began to experiment for himself and soon dismissed the erroneous and popular notions of the time that mesmeric trances were due to some form of magnetism. Instead, he adopted a practical and physiological view that hypnosis is a kind of sleep, induced by fatigue resulting from intense concentration. He practised on his wife and others, including friends and a servant, and he even indulged in self hypnosis.
In 1842, Braid published‘Neurypnology or The Rationale of Nervous Sleep Considered In Relation With Animal Magnetism’. He first named the phenomenon after Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep and master of dreams. Braid felt that the hypnotic subject was so focused on one single thought or idea, to the exclusion of all others, that a trance like condition ensued, which is, apparently, pretty much what all hypnotists believe today.
However, by 1847, Braid discovered that all the major phenomena of hypnotism such as catalepsy, anaesthesia and amnesia, could be induced without sleep. Realising his choice of hypnosis had been a mistake, he tried to rename it to the aforementioned 'monoideism'. But, as you've already read, it didn't catch on. As an alternative, the term ‘braidism’ was also coined, by one Durand de Gros, but that idea certainly never caught on either. With the introduction of his neurophysiologic theory, Braid formally consigned Franz Anton Mesmer's doctrine of animal magnetism to the dustbin of quackery and established hypnotic phenomena as something tangible and, importantly, scientific.
Subsequently, Braid detailed “a sophisticated psychophysiology, with emphasis on the psychology of suggestion and the phenomenon of double consciousness.” Working at at time that you could describe as “the eve of the anaesthetic revolution,” Dr. Braid was, not unnaturally, interested in the therapeutic possibilities of hypnosis and he explored the use of hypnotic techniques to offer his patients a degree of pain-relief during surgery. Using those methods, Braid reported successful treatment of diseased states such as paralysis, rheumatism, and aphasia. He also hoped that hypnosis could be used to cure various, seemingly incurable nervous diseases and to alleviate the pain and anxiety of patients in surgery. Braid's espousal of hypnotism as a tool of scientific investigation and his innovative use of hypnosis to cure hysterical paralysis profoundly influenced late 19th Century theories on suggestive therapeutics and the nature of hypnosis.
Braid once gave a startling, written account of self hypnosis, in which he described curing himself of the excruciating pain of severe rheumatism affecting his left side, from the neck to the chest and arm. He wrote, retrospectively, that he had been unable to either turn his head, lift his arm, or draw a breath, without suffering extreme pain and resolved to try the effects of hypnotism. He requested two friends to bring him round after he had passed sufficiently into the condition and then promptly hypnotised himself. After a period of nine minutes, his friends aroused him from his torpor, and lo and behold, Braid was able to move with perfect ease. Amazingly, at the time he wrote that account, Braid had been free from rheumatism for nearly six years. As he said, “My suffering was so exquisite that I could not imagine anyone else ever suffered so intensely as myself on that occasion; and, therefore, I merely expected a mitigation, so that I was truly agreeably surprised to find myself quite free from pain.”
James Braid may not be well known, but he’s a figure integral to the history of dynamic psychiatry and his writings paved the way for investigations into what was later called the unconscious mind. Dr. James Braid died suddenly of a heart attack, on the 25th of March, 1860.
The story of James Braid is a mesmerising tale, involving quackery and animal magnetism, and it has a charming ending. Along the way, Dr. Braid became entranced by the performances of mesmerists or mesmerisers. Braid's spellbound interest led his coining the term 'hypnosis', but later on, after seeing the other side of the coin, he decided the phenomenon should've been called 'monoideism' (meaning ‘one idea’ or ‘one thought’ – effectively ‘a concentration of the mind’). As you've never heard of 'monoideism', you'll appreciate that by then, it was too late and James Braid's terms of ‘hypnosis’ and ‘hypnotism’ retained the upper hand. Thankfully, you will add no doubt, because 'monoideism' is difficult to spell, difficult to read and – this is the key – difficult to pronounce, even when hypnotised. Hence, 'monoideism' never saw much of the light of day. It was a singularly daft name, anyway.
James Braid was born on his birthday in 1795, in Rylaw house, in the Kingdom of Fife. James studied in Edinburgh, where at first, he concerned himself extensively with surgery, writing on orthopaedics, the treatment of club foot, squint, and other surgical topics. Braid also published articles in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, like many of his contemporaries; such was the method of advance of medical science. After qualifying, Braid became the resident physician at the Leads-Hill mines in Lanarkshire. Later on, Braid moved to England, where he established a surgical practice of his own, in Manchester.
Braid's epiphany moment came in November, 1841, when he saw what was called a ‘conversazione’ by the Swiss chappie, M. Charles Lafontaine. Braid promptly developed a scientific interest in what Lafontaine had been practising, mesmerism or animal magnetism, as it was then called. Braid, a good solid, practical Scotsman, was sceptical at first, believing Lafontaine to have been some kind of charlatan, however, he later wrote, after observing more performances, “considered that to be a real phenomenon, and was anxious to discover the physiological cause of it.”
As a result of his professional curiosity, Braid began to experiment for himself and soon dismissed the erroneous and popular notions of the time that mesmeric trances were due to some form of magnetism. Instead, he adopted a practical and physiological view that hypnosis is a kind of sleep, induced by fatigue resulting from intense concentration. He practised on his wife and others, including friends and a servant, and he even indulged in self hypnosis.
In 1842, Braid published‘Neurypnology or The Rationale of Nervous Sleep Considered In Relation With Animal Magnetism’. He first named the phenomenon after Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep and master of dreams. Braid felt that the hypnotic subject was so focused on one single thought or idea, to the exclusion of all others, that a trance like condition ensued, which is, apparently, pretty much what all hypnotists believe today.
However, by 1847, Braid discovered that all the major phenomena of hypnotism such as catalepsy, anaesthesia and amnesia, could be induced without sleep. Realising his choice of hypnosis had been a mistake, he tried to rename it to the aforementioned 'monoideism'. But, as you've already read, it didn't catch on. As an alternative, the term ‘braidism’ was also coined, by one Durand de Gros, but that idea certainly never caught on either. With the introduction of his neurophysiologic theory, Braid formally consigned Franz Anton Mesmer's doctrine of animal magnetism to the dustbin of quackery and established hypnotic phenomena as something tangible and, importantly, scientific.
Subsequently, Braid detailed “a sophisticated psychophysiology, with emphasis on the psychology of suggestion and the phenomenon of double consciousness.” Working at at time that you could describe as “the eve of the anaesthetic revolution,” Dr. Braid was, not unnaturally, interested in the therapeutic possibilities of hypnosis and he explored the use of hypnotic techniques to offer his patients a degree of pain-relief during surgery. Using those methods, Braid reported successful treatment of diseased states such as paralysis, rheumatism, and aphasia. He also hoped that hypnosis could be used to cure various, seemingly incurable nervous diseases and to alleviate the pain and anxiety of patients in surgery. Braid's espousal of hypnotism as a tool of scientific investigation and his innovative use of hypnosis to cure hysterical paralysis profoundly influenced late 19th Century theories on suggestive therapeutics and the nature of hypnosis.
Braid once gave a startling, written account of self hypnosis, in which he described curing himself of the excruciating pain of severe rheumatism affecting his left side, from the neck to the chest and arm. He wrote, retrospectively, that he had been unable to either turn his head, lift his arm, or draw a breath, without suffering extreme pain and resolved to try the effects of hypnotism. He requested two friends to bring him round after he had passed sufficiently into the condition and then promptly hypnotised himself. After a period of nine minutes, his friends aroused him from his torpor, and lo and behold, Braid was able to move with perfect ease. Amazingly, at the time he wrote that account, Braid had been free from rheumatism for nearly six years. As he said, “My suffering was so exquisite that I could not imagine anyone else ever suffered so intensely as myself on that occasion; and, therefore, I merely expected a mitigation, so that I was truly agreeably surprised to find myself quite free from pain.”
James Braid may not be well known, but he’s a figure integral to the history of dynamic psychiatry and his writings paved the way for investigations into what was later called the unconscious mind. Dr. James Braid died suddenly of a heart attack, on the 25th of March, 1860.
Saturday, 24 March 2012
James VI & I
King James VI of Scotland
was proclaimed King James I of England on the 24th of
March, 1603.
Charles James Stewart was
the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her second husband, Lord
Darnley. He was born on the 19th of June, 1566, and
brought up in Stirling Castle, which is where he last saw his mother,
in April, 1567. She was abducted by James Hepburn, the 4th
Earl of Bothwell, on her way back to Edinburgh after paying a visit
to see her wee Jamie. Not long after, in June, Mary was forced to
abdicate in favour of her son, who then became James VI just after
his first birthday. He was crowned
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