William Carmichael M'Intosh LLD (also spelt McIntosh; 10 October 1838,

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

– 1 April 1931, St Andrews) was a Scottish

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

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. He served as president of the

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, as vice-president of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

(1927–30), and was awarded the

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(1865-8).

Life

He was born in

on 10 October 1838 the son of Baillie John McIntosh and his wife, Eliza Mitchell. He studied Medicine at St Andrews University 1853 to 1857. He was licensed by the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

in 1860, as the local licensing body and also gaining an MD for his thesis 'Observations and experiments on the carcinus mœnas' from the University of Edinburgh. He then began working at Murray Royal Asylum near Perth, where he remained for three years before moving to the Murthly Asylum nearby in 1863. FMIB 36613 Sea-horses (Hippocampi)

McIntosh worked as Medical Superintendent of Murthly for eighteen years, leaving in 1882 to take on a Professorship at St Andrews University, reflecting his strong interest and knowledge in Natural History. In this latter field he gained distinction as a renowned botanist and marine biologist, travelling on

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during the Challenger expedition of 1872 to 1876.. He was professor of natural history at St Andrews University from 1882 to 1917, succeeded by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson. He was also director of the university museum and was the first director of the university's

Gatty Marine Laboratory The Gatty Marine Laboratory is a science facility located in the coastal town of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. It is part of the University of St Andrews and home to the Scottish Oceans Institute, an interdisciplinary research institute studying ...

(founded 1896). McIntosh was also a fellow of the

Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

, a fellow of the

, and a corresponding member of the Zoological Society. He was elected a fellow of the

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in 1877, and was awarded the Royal Society's

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in 1899: ''"For his important monographs on British marine zoology and on the fishing industries."'' He received the

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'' Doctor of laws'' (LL.D.) from the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

in 1900, and was awarded the

Linnean Medal The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or (as has been common since 1958) to one of each in the same year. The medal was of gold until 1976, and ...

in 1924. He died in

on 1 April 1931.

Family

He was the only son and had five sisters; he never married. At the suggestion of his mother in 1863 his next youngest sister Agnes (1 September 1840—24 March 1923) lived with him as his housekeeper. They moved to Murthly in 1864 when William was appointed Superintendent of the Perth District Asylum and they remained there until 1882. His youngest sister, Roberta (19 January 1843 – 2 September 1869), married the zoologist

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Publications

He published two major works in his life, ''A Monograph of the British Annelids'' (1873 - 1915) in four parts and nine volumes, and ''The Marine Invertebrates and Fishes of St. Andrews'' (1875).

References

External links

Entry
at the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Entry for McIntosh
in the Royal Society's Library and Archive catalogue's details of Fellows (accessed 23 April 2008)
William Carmichael McIntosh
picture from the Natural History Museum
William Carmichael McIntosh
from the University of St Andrews Library Photographic Archive

manuscript collection at the University of St Andrews {{DEFAULTSORT:Mintosh, William Carmichael Scottish marine biologists Marine zoologists Scottish zoologists 1838 births 1931 deaths Scottish botanists Scottish curators Scottish psychiatrists Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Royal Medal winners Academics of the University of St Andrews Alumni of the University of St Andrews Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from St Andrews People educated at Madras College 19th-century British zoologists 19th-century Scottish medical doctors