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Scottish chemistry, classification and the early mineralogical career of the 'ingenious' Rev. Dr John Walker (1746 to 1779)

Eddy, M.D.

Scottish chemistry, classification and the early mineralogical career of the 'ingenious' Rev. Dr John Walker (1746 to 1779) Thumbnail


Authors

M.D. Eddy



Abstract

The Rev. Dr John Walker was the Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh from 1779 to 1803. Although his time in this position has been addressed by several studies,1 the previous thirty years that he spent 'mineralizing' have been virtually ignored. The situation is similar for many of the well-known mineralogists of the eighteenth century and there is a lack of studies that address how a mineralogist actually became a mineralogist.2 Using Walker's early career as a guide, this essay seeks to detail the making of an eighteenth-century Scottish mineralogist. The time frame under examination begins with Walker's matriculation at the University of Edinburgh in 1746 and it ends with his being appointed professor in 1779. The first section demonstrates that Walker's early mineralogical education at the Medical School and under William Cullen was closely linked to chemistry. The second section shows how he used chemical characters to classify minerals and to criticize the systems of Linnaeus, Da Costa, Wallerius and Cronstedt. Because Walker needed many 'fossil' samples to test the viability of his chemical mineralogy, the final section details how he used tours, patrons and correspondents to build his mineral collection.

Citation

Eddy, M. (2002). Scottish chemistry, classification and the early mineralogical career of the 'ingenious' Rev. Dr John Walker (1746 to 1779). British Journal for the History of Science, 35(4), 411-438. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007087402004806

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2002-12
Deposit Date May 23, 2008
Publicly Available Date Feb 11, 2010
Journal British Journal for the History of Science
Print ISSN 0007-0874
Electronic ISSN 1474-001X
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 35
Issue 4
Pages 411-438
DOI https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007087402004806
Keywords Mineralogy, Classification.

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