Michael Waistell Taylor (1824–1892) was a Scottish physician, known also as an

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

Life

The son of Michael Taylor, an

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

merchant, was born at

Portobello Portobello, Porto Bello, Porto Belo, Portabello, or Portabella may refer to: Places Brazil * Porto Belo Ireland * Portobello, Dublin * Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin formerly ''Portobello Barracks'' New Zealand * Portobello, New Zealand, on Ot ...

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

on 29 January 1824. He was educated at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, and matriculated at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

in 1840, studying botany and graduating with an MD in 1843. In the following year he obtained a diploma from the Edinburgh College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was appointed assistant to Professor

John Hutton Balfour John Hutton Balfour (15 September 1808 – 11 February 1884) was a Scottish botanist. Balfour became a Professor of Botany, first at the University of Glasgow in 1841, moving to the University of Edinburgh and also becoming the 7th Regius Keepe ...

, and was also one of the founders and early presidents of the Hunterian Medical Society. During 1844 Taylor studied surgery at Paris for nine months, and then visited European cities collecting botanical specimens. In 1845 he settled at Penrith in

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

, and soon after that succeeded to the practice of Dr John Taylor. In 1858 he discovered that

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

might be caused by contamination in the milk supply. In 1868 he assisted in founding the border counties branch of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

, and was the second to hold the office of president. Taylor as an antiquary made local discoveries: the vestiges of Celtic occupation on

Ullswater Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being about long and wide, with a maximum depth a little over . It was scooped out by a glacier in the Last Ice Age. Geography It is a typical Lake District "ribbon lake", ...

, the

starfish Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish ...

cairns of Moor Divock, the prehistoric remains at

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia * Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong *Clifton, Western Australia Canada *Clifton, Nova Scotia ...

, and the

Croglin Croglin is the name of a village, former civil parish, beck (stream), and grange in Cumbria in England. Croglin is a quiet picturesque fellside village between the Pennines and the River Eden, Cumbria, River Eden, about south-east of Carlisle, ...

moulds for casting spear-heads in bronze. He was elected a fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...

on 27 May 1886, and was a fellow of the

Scottish Society of Antiquaries The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usua ...

, a member of the

Epidemiological Society The Epidemiological Society of London, also known as the Royal Society of Medicine's Epidemiological Society, was founded in London in 1850 with the objective of investigating the causes and conditions which influence the origin, propagation, m ...

, and a member of the council of the

Royal Archæological Institute The Royal Archaeological Institute (RAI) is a learned society, established in 1844, with interests in all aspects of the archaeological, architectural and landscape history of the British Isles. Membership is open to all with an interest in these ...

. He joined the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archæological Society soon after its formation in 1866. Taylor retired from medical practice in 1884, and died in London on 24 November 1892. He is buried at Penrith in the Christ Church burial-ground.

Works

Taylor was the author of medical treatises on subjects, and in 1881 wrote a substantial article on the fungoid nature of

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

. At the time of his death he had completed a long work on the ''Old Manorial Halls of Westmorland and Cumberland'' (London, 1892).

Family

In 1858 Taylor married Mary Rayner, daughter of J. H. Rayner of Liverpool. Together they had three daughters and three sons.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Michael Waistell 1824 births 1892 deaths 19th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish antiquarians Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Alumni of the University of Edinburgh