Edward Bancroft, M.D., F.R.S., and the War of American Independence / by Sir Arthur S. MacNalty.

  • Arthur MacNalty
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Edward Bancroft, M.D., F.R.S., and the War of American Independence / by Sir Arthur S. MacNalty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    o College, Dublin, the roll of graduates of that University and the roil of the King and Queen’s College of Physicians without finding Bancroft’s name. With Mr. Bishop’s help 1 found Bancroft’s name as M.D. Aberdeen in the Roll of Marischal College for the y ear 1774. The degree was awarded to him on the recommendation of Drs, Fordyce and Letsom [sic]. George- Fordyce, an eccentric physician, lectured on chemistry and was probably interested in Bancroft’s chemical researches. He; was a graduate of Aberdeen University and no: doubt advised Bancroft to seek an M.D. there. Bancroft dabbled in literature. He wrote on American subjects for the Monthly Review, on Franklin’s recommendation, and in 1770 published a novel. It was entitled. The History of Charles Wentworth, Esq., in a Series of Letters Interspersed with a Variety of Important Reflections calculated to Improve Morality and Promote the (Economy of Human Life, 3 vols., 12mo, London. Printed for T. Becket in the Strand, MDCCLXX. The motto is a quotation from Horace’s Ars Poetica. No doubt Bancroft’s friendship with Wentworth suggested the name of the hero. It is a scarce book, but I found a copy in the British Museum Library, with the help of Dr. H. Thomas and Mr. Ellis. The novel is well written. Bancroft in the course of it quotes Aristotle, the classics. Lord Bolingbroke and Tristram Shandy. He was evidently well read. He is at times extremely up to date as, for instance, when he anticipates the New Commonwealth Party in saying “The soil in every country should be equally distributed among its inhabitants”. In Charles Wentworth Bancroft tried to do two things: to write an ethical and socio¬ logical treatise and a love-story. As a consequence, he failed in both aims and the novel, although interesting as a study of the author, cannot be regarded as a success. Probably Bancroft realized this, for he did not repeat the experiment. Bancroft soon was recognized as a leading London physician, chiefly, it may be supposed, on account of his scientific attainments. He was engaged in researches into the produc¬ tion of colours and vegetable dyes, thus continuing the work which he had begun in Surinam. On May 6, 1773, he communicated, a paper to the Royal Society “on producing and communicating colours”, and on May 20 of the same year he was unanimously elected F.R.S. He is described in the register of the Society as “Edward Bancroft, M.B., afterwards M.D.” His sponsors were the Astronomer Royal, the King’s Physician (probably Sir John Pringle), and Benjamin Franklin. On April 14, 1774, he communicated a paper of two pages entitled Work on Nigrescent Vegetables. This was read at the Committee of Papers but not published. Bancroft had much personal charm and had many distinguished friends. Among these may be mentioned Sir John Pringle, Joseph Priestly and John Coakley Lettsom. Bancroft mav have met Lettsom in the West Indies or have had letters of introduction j to him from America for Lettsom had many American friendships. As we know, Lettsom initiated the Medical Society of London in 1773 and Edward Bancroft appears in Samuel Medley’s portrait of the Founders of that Society. In Sir StClair Thomson’s Annual Oration where an account is given of these founders, Edward Bancroft has been confused with his son, Edward Nathaniel. The latter was only one year old in 1773 and was in the West Indies in 1800 when Medley painted this picture, which includes most of the leading medical men of the period. Bancroft seems to have taken an active part in the early days of the Medical Society. He staunchly supported Lettsom and on January 18, 1775, helped to elect him President and acted as Secretary of the Society for that special meeting. Bancroft corresponded with French savants, especially Berthollet, the eminent French chemist, and was accepted by the scientists of both London and Paris as one of themselves and an authority in his own subject—dyeing. He was regarded by the East India Com¬ pany as the chief expert of the day on dyes, and they submitted samples of Indian pro¬ ducts to him for information concerning their dyeing properties. He helped the Company to introduce lac dye. In 1775 he obtained a Government patent, which licensed him to make, use, exercise and vend in England, Wales and Berwick-upon-Tweed his discovery and invention that certain vegetables growing spontaneously in His Majesty’s American Dominions, and never, as he believed, used for any Art, Trade or Manufacture within Great Britain except by himself and those employed by him. were capable of dyeing woof, cotton, &c. Three articles were included in the patent. First, the bark, fruit and excrescences of yellow or black oak; secondly, the bark and fruit of the American hiccory or walnut tree; and thirdly, the red mangrove tree. The two latter were not of much use, but the yellow oak was most successful. Subsequently, Bancroft gave it the name of quercitron, derived from the Latin words quercus citrini. The value of quercitron bark in dyeing tvas his personal discovery. Mr. Lawrence Morris, Editor of The Dyer, informs me that quercitron became one of the most important of the vegetable colouring matters and retained its position until