James Clark (physician in Dominica)

Dr James Clark or Clarke FRS FRSE (1737-1819) was a Scottish doctor and plantation-owner strongly linked to the history of the Dominica. His treatise on yellow fever earned him instant fame and Fellowship in both the Royal Society of London and Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was a physician, chemist and natural historian.[1] He made significant advances on the understanding of the nature of contagious diseases.

Life

James Clark was a doctor in Aberdeen working there in the mid-18th century.

Around 1770 he sailed to Dominica. Here he acquired a sugar plantation which still exists today, known either as Clark Hall Estate or Clarke Hall Estate. He also owned coffee plantations. In his 40 years on the island he amassed a considerable fortune.[2] He also served a role in the governance of the island, serving on HM Council.

In Dominica he spent much time with fellow-Scot and fellow-plantation-owner, Dr James Laing, who owned the Shillingford Estate which made Macoucherie Rum.[2] Laing is noted as being the donator of the famous 61-minute clock on Crimond Church which originally came from Laing’s estate at Haddo.

In 1793 an epidemic of yellow fever, one of the most lethal tropical diseases of its day, hit Dominica, beginning on 15 June, from a white sailor in the harbour, having originated in Grenada on the ship Hankey.[3] Dr Clark made a first-hand study of the outbreak, which lasted three years and published his findings in 1797. The study hypothesised about the reasons for the outbreak and was one of the first studies to hint at the role of mosquitoes in the spread of disease. He also discusses symptoms of the disease and possible means of prevention. The study also branches into commentary on other diseases such as typhus, dysentery, cholera and tetanus.[4] It also made a chemical analysis and assessment of the curative properties of the hot mineral springs on the island.[5] James also observed that newcomers (regardless of race) were particularly susceptible to yellow fever, hinting at a degree of immunity within the static population.[6]

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1791 (prior to his famous treatise), his main proposer being James Hutton, and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1799 (due to his treatise). He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1792), and a Fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries and Society of Arts.[1]

He returned to Britain around 1810, presumably in a state of retiral. He appears to have then resided in the Hatton Garden district of London at or near the house of his daughter. He died in the Hatton Garden district of London on 21 January 1819.[7]

Family

Clark had an Afro-European common law wife in Dominica known as Mary Clark. Four children survived: two sons and two daughters. His two daughters, Ann Eliza Clark and Sarah Clark, returned to Britain, the former marrying Mr Sim of Hatton Garden. George Clark became a millwright in Jamaica and later a merchant in Rotterdam. Edward Clark was a clerk on Dominica.

On the death of James Clark, George inherited the Clark Hall Estate. George was one of the many thousands of persons compensated when Britain passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

Publications
  • A Treatise on the Yellow Fever as it appeared in the Island of Dominica in the years 1793-1796 (published in London, 1797)
gollark: Computer science isn't software engineering, though. CS is meant to teach more theory-oriented stuff.
gollark: As in, you think the majority of them don't *ask* for it, or you think the majority don't need degree-related skills?
gollark: The entry-level desk job things will probably get increasingly automated away anyway.
gollark: I didn't say that that produces *good* outcomes for people involved.
gollark: Apparently the (or at least a) reason for this problem is that a degree works as a proxy for some minimum standard at stuff like being able to consistently do sometimes-boring things for 4 years, remember information and do things with it, and manage to go to class on time. So it's useful information regardless of whether the employer actually needs your specialized knowledge at all (in many cases, they apparently do not). And they're increasingly common, so *not* having one is an increasing red flag - you may have some sort of objection to the requirement for them, but that can't be distinguished from you just not being able to get one.

References
  1. "Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783-2002" (PDF). Royalsoced.org.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  2. Designed Basestation in association with StudioSP. "A North East Story - Scotland, Africa and Slavery in the Caribbean". abdn.ac.uk.
  3. Ship of Death: A Voyage that Changed the Atlantic World, by Billy G Smith
  4. James Clark (17 October 2013). "A Treatise on the Yellow Fever, as It Appeared in the Island of Dominica, in the Years 1793–4–5–6". Cambridge University Press.
  5. "Open Collections Program: Contagion, A treatise on the yellow fever, as it appeared in the Island of Dominica, in the years 1793-4-5-6. 006053031". harvard.edu.
  6. "Slavery, Disease, and Suffering in the Southern Lowcountry". google.co.uk.
  7. "Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783-2002" (PDF). Royalsoced.org.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2015.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.