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Helenus Scott M.D. (1760–1821) was a Scottish physician.

Career

He was born at Auchterhouse, the son of the local minister. He attended Dundee Grammar School, after which he studied science at Marischal College, Aberdeen from 1773 to 1777, and then studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh until 1779. He entered the medical service of the East India Company, and served chiefly in the Bombay presidency.[1]

Scott became a correspondent of Sir Joseph Banks in London. At the beginning of 1790 he responded to a request from Banks on the cotton industry with an extensive report.[2] Later that year he sent Banks samples of wootz steel.[3] He played a part in the founding of the botanical gardens in Bombay in 1791.[4]

Scott worked also as an agent for the local manufacture of gunpowder in Bombay, and spirits, from 1796.[5] On 24 July 1797 he was created M.D. by the University of Aberdeen.[1] In 1802 he carried out the first successful vaccination in Bombay.[6]

After thirty years in India, Scott returned to England, and began practice at Bath, Somerset. On 22 December 1815 he was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, and in 1817 began to practise as a physician in Russell Square, London. He attained to considerable practice, and died on 16 November 1821.[1] He was then at sea, on HMS Britomart, voyaging with two of his sons to Australia.[7]

Medical publications

In 1817 he contributed a paper to the Transactions of the Medico-Chirurgical Society on the use of nitromuriatic acid in medicine. Its frequent employment in the treatment of enteric fever and other maladies originated in his advocacy.[1]

Novels

Scott published a novel of circulation, The Adventures of a Rupee, in 1781.[8] Another novel was Helena, or the Vicissitudes of Military Life (1790).[9]

Family

Scott was born to Mary and William Scott, He was the 3rd son, both his older brothers joined the exploration of India, his older brother Thomas had a son named James who would later become a well known horseman around Scotland, James is said to have been the closest to Helenus and when James’ son John joined the East India trading company and Helenus gave a tour to said son, John would later settle with an aboriginal woman in australia on land owned by Helenus son Robert Scott married Augusta Maria, daughter of Colonel Charles Frederick. Their sons included Robert, Helenus, James and Alexander Walker Scott.[7] One of the stained glass windows in the Garrison Church, Sydney, was installed in memory of Helenus and Augusta.[10]

Notes

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Scott, Helenus". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 51. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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