Helenus Scott facts for kids

Helenus Scott (born 1760, died 1821) was a Scottish doctor. He was known for his work in medicine and for writing books.

A Doctor's Journey

Helenus Scott was born in a place called Auchterhouse in Scotland. His father was a minister there. He went to school at Dundee Grammar School, then studied science at Marischal College in Aberdeen from 1773 to 1777. After that, he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh until 1779.

He joined the medical service of the East India Company. This was a powerful British company that traded with India and other parts of Asia. Helenus Scott worked mostly in the Bombay presidency, which was a large area in India controlled by the British.

Scott became friends with Sir Joseph Banks, a famous scientist in London. In 1790, Scott wrote a long report for Banks about the cotton industry. Later that year, he sent Banks samples of wootz steel, which was a special type of steel from India. He also helped start the botanical gardens in Bombay in 1791. Botanical gardens are places where many different kinds of plants are grown for scientific study and public enjoyment.

From 1796, Scott also worked as an agent helping to make gunpowder and alcoholic drinks in Bombay. On July 24, 1797, he earned his M.D. degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the University of Aberdeen. In 1802, he performed the first successful vaccination in Bombay. A vaccination is a shot that helps protect people from diseases.

After working in India for thirty years, Scott returned to England. He started his medical practice in Bath, Somerset. In 1815, he became a licensed doctor with the Royal College of Physicians. In 1817, he began working as a doctor in London. He became quite successful. Helenus Scott died on November 16, 1821, while he was at sea on a ship called HMS Britomart. He was traveling to Australia with two of his sons.

Medical Discoveries

In 1817, Helenus Scott wrote an important paper for a medical group called the Medico-Chirurgical Society. In this paper, he talked about using nitromuriatic acid in medicine. This acid was often used to treat enteric fever, which is a serious illness, and other sicknesses because of his ideas.

Books He Wrote

Helenus Scott also wrote novels. A novel is a long story. In 1781, he published a novel called The Adventures of a Rupee. Another novel he wrote was Helena, or the Vicissitudes of Military Life in 1790.

His Family

Helenus Scott married Augusta Maria, who was the daughter of Colonel Charles Frederick. They had sons named Robert, Helenus, and Alexander Walker Scott. There is a beautiful stained glass window in the Garrison Church in Sydney, Australia. It was put there to remember Helenus and Augusta.