Wallich, George Charles (1815-1899)

The collection centres on Wallich's work on biology, particularly marine biology, and his belief that other figures in the field were ignoring or plagiarising his discoveries. As well as his notes, it includes a collection of offprints by Wallich (MS.4969) and a collection of offprints by other scientists, with Wallich's comments (MS.4970). These note-books, especially No. 4 and No. 5, and the comments in the off-prints of works by other contemporary scientists, give a remarkable impression of the author's ideas and character. He undoubtedly laboured under a strong sense of grievance and injustice, which seems to have increased as he grew older: for he believed that his discoveries had from the first been deliberately ignored, and later stolen or plagiarized. In his view the chief offenders were Henry Clifton Sorby [1826-1908], geologist, Sir Charles Wyvill Thomson [1830-1882], naturalist, Thomas Henry Huxley [1825-1895], and William Benjamin Carpenter [1813-1885], physician and naturalist. Thomson is always nick-named 'Weevil', and he had a bitter dislike of Huxley whom he considered a plagiarist and charlatan: but his particular hatred was aimed at Carpenter whom he designates as 'Fur' (Thief). In No. 4 he has an entry: 'Some recent examples of Huxleyan arrogance, falsehood, and injustice' (p. 136), and on p. 97, we find mention of 'Carpenter's falsehood and dishonesty'. In this MS on p. 85, written only four months before his death, is a somewhat pathetic summing up of his life and career, when he remarks: 'If any man ever was for forty years a victim of such a set of scoundrels, I am that man'.

1860-1898

5 volumes and 4 bundles of unbound papers holograph notes with printed cuttings and offprints of publications.

MSS.4962-4968 comprise Wallich's own notes, held in so far as this can be established in chronological order of composition. MSS.4969-4970 comprise offprints of publications: by Wallich (MS.4969) and by other scientists, with Wallich's comments (MS.4970).

Purchased from Stevens', London, August 1930

George Wallich was born in 1815, the son of the Danish (later naturalised British) botanist Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854). He qualified M.D. in Edinburgh in 1834 and served in the Indian Medical Service. He also wrote on marine biology. In the latter field he was increasingly convinced that his claims to primacy in various research discoveries were being ignored, and engaged in feuds with various scientific figures of the day. He died in 1899.

At Wellcome Collection: MS. 7805 comprises a collection of letters by Wallich and his father Nathaniel Wallich (1786-1854), primarily the latter. MS.7830/32, a letter from William Jack (1795-1822) to Nathaniel Wallich, mentions George Wallich.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).