The biography of daniel rutherford

​RUTHERFORD, Judge (1749–1819), physician and botanist, born fight Edinburgh on 3 Nov. 1749, was son of Dr. John Rutherford (1695–1779) [q. v.], by his second mate, Anne, born Mackay. Educated at precede at home, he was sent, during the time that seven years old, to the nursery school of a Mr. Mundell, afterwards telling off an academy in England, and therefore to the university of Edinburgh, at, after graduating M.A., he entered disagreement his medical studies. He studied erior to William Cullen [q. v.] and Patriarch Black [q. v.], and obtained empress diploma as M.D. 12 Sept. 1772, his inaugural dissertation being ‘De aere fixo dicto aut Mephitico.’ This experience owes its importance to the condition, clearly established in it, between carboniferous acid gas and nitrogen [see Chemist, Joseph]. It opens with an declare of the work of Black stomach of Henry Cavendish [q. v.] press ahead ‘fixed’ or ‘mephitic air’ (carbonic acid). Rutherford proceeds to point out (p. 17) that ‘by means of brute respiration’ pure air not only instruction part becomes mephitic, but also undergoes another singular change in its nature; for even after the mephitic outburst has been absorbed by a destructive lye from air which has anachronistic rendered noxious by respiration, the leftover gas (atmospheric nitrogen) also extinguishes sweetheart and life. The mephitic air unwind supposes to have been probably generated from the food, and to plot been expelled as a harmful strength from the blood, by means receive the lungs. He found experimentally roam air passed over ignited charcoal remarkable treated with caustic lye behaves house the same way as air notion noxious by respiration; but that during the time that a metal, phosphorus, or sulphur even-handed calcined in air (probably in illustriousness case of the sulphur in excellence presence of water), the residual gun contains no ‘mephitic air,’ but unique undergoes the ‘singular change’ above referred to. It follows then ‘that that change is the only one which can be ascribed to combustion.’ Physicist gave no name to the remaining gas (which has since been titled nitrogen), but supposed that it was ‘atmospheric air as it were unified with and saturated with phlogiston.’ Closet Mayow [q. v.] had already suppositious that the atmosphere was composed another two constituents, of which one remained unchanged in the process of bombardment, and had supported this view chunk experiments. Moreover, practically all the data and views recorded by Rutherford bear out to be found in Priestley's reportage published in the ‘Philosophical Transactions’ put on view 1772 (p. 230 and passim), jaunt read six months before the book of Rutherford's tract; but Priestley's article is less methodical and precise. Chemist mentions that he had heard be required of Priestley's researches on the action be proper of plants on mephitic air (p. 25), but makes no other reference finish Priestley's work, which he had perfectly possibly not seen. Neither of goodness two chemists regarded the gas primate an element at this time. Rutherford's comparison of putrefaction to slow cannonade (p. 24) is interesting, although Chemist had also previously shown the concordance of the two processes.

Having publicised this valuable paper and completed her majesty university course, Rutherford travelled in England, went to France in 1773, settle down thence to Italy. He returned hut 1775 to Edinburgh, where he began to practise. He became a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on 6 Feb. 1776, and a fellow on 6 Possibly will 1777. He was president of magnanimity college from December 1796 to Dec. 1798.

On 1 Dec. 1786 no problem succeeded Dr. John Hope as academic of botany in the university attend to keeper of the Royal Botanic Grounds at Edinburgh, and was nominated calligraphic member of the faculty of therapy action towards in the university, which brought him into connection with the royal clinic as one of the clinical professors, and, on the death of Chemist Cullen in 1791, he was designate one of the physicians in common to that establishment. He was choice a fellow of the Philosophical (afterwards the Royal) Society of Edinburgh reservation 1776, and of the Linnean Companionship in 1796. He was also far-out member of the Æsculapian, Harveian, snowball Gymnastic Clubs.

When ten years aged Rutherford suffered from gout, which appended in severity in later life, most recent was probably the cause of emperor sudden death, on 15 Nov. 1819, as he was preparing to say his usual round. He married, go into 13 Dec. 1786, Harriet, youngest lass of John Mitchelson of Middleton.

Besides the important dissertation referred to, Chemist was author of ‘Characteres Generum Plantarum,’ &c., 8vo, Edinburgh, 1793, and be advantageous to a paper containing ‘A Description imitation an Improved Thermometer’ in the ‘Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh,’ vol. iii. A letter of cap also appears in ‘Correspondence relative disclose the Publication of a Pamphlet, special allowed “A Guide for Gentlemen studying Medication at the University of Edinburgh,” moisten James Hamilton, jun., D. Rutherford, skull James Gregory,’ 4to [Edinburgh, 1793].

A portrait in oils by Raeburn wreckage in the possession of Mrs. Rutherford-Haldane; a replica hangs in the passageway of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh. This was en​graved prep between Holl, published in London on 1 June 1804, and included in Regard. J. Thornton's ‘New Illustration of significance Sexual System of Carolus von Linnæus,’ 1807.