Sir Alexander Taylor

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

MRIA (1802–18 May 1879) was a 19th-century Scottish physician and author. He attended to the wounded in both sides during the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, and wrote a book which promoted the healthful climate of Pau.

Early life and education

He was born in 1802 in Alton,

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

, the son of William Taylor, a ship-owner. He studied medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, gaining his doctorate (MD) in 1825.

Medical career

In 1835 he served as Staff Surgeon to the English Auxiliary Force in Spain. In 1839 he settled in Pau in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

and lived and worked there for the rest of his life. In 1842 he published ''On the Curative Influence of the Climate of Pau, and the Mineral Waters of the Pyrenees, on Disease''. The book did much to promote the town as a tourist destination. The climate was said to combat "Winter Depression" and respiratory disease and was first aimed at English-speaking countries, then translated into several European languages. Visitors coming as a result of his encouragement included

Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (Birth name, née Todd; December 13, 1818July 16, 1882) was First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865. Mary Todd was born into a large and wealthy ...

. In 1846 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposer was John Argyll Robertson. He was knighted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1865. In 1870 he did much to relieve the injured in Pau during the

. In this he aided the injured on both sides of the conflict.

Later life, death and legacy

After the death of his wife Julia in June 1878, he lived in a boarding house on Rue Montpensier in Pau. On

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

1878 a stained glass window was erected by him to the memory of his wife in the Protestant Church on Rue Serviez in Pau. He died on 18 May 1879 at 5 Cayton Crescent in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

during a visit to relatives in London. His body was returned to Pau and he was buried next to his wife in the municipal cemetery in the town. Rue Alexander Taylor in Pau is named in his honour.Pau: Street Guide

Publications

*''iarchive:b2928840x/page/n9/mode/2up, On the Curative Influence of the Climate of Pau, and the Mineral Waters of the Pyrenees, on Disease; with Descriptive Notices of the geology, botany, natural history, mountain sports, local antiquities, and topography of the Pyrenees''

References

1802 births 1879 deaths People from Ayrshire Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish medical doctors Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Scottish emigrants to France Scottish surgeons {{Scotland-med-bio-stub