British Journal of Radiology (2006) 79, 702
© 2006 British Institute of Radiology
doi:
Michael Faraday and the electrical century. By I R Morus. pp. 192, 2004 (Icon Books, Cambridge, UK) £9.99 ISBN 1-84046-540-9
A K Banerjee
At the beginning of the 20th century the subject of electricity continued to fascinate many medical men including the early pioneering radiologists who believed electricity might have a major therapeutic role. One such early pioneer was John Mcintyre from Glasgow who was initially appointed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1885 as medical electrician before turning his enthusiasm to X-rays 10 years later on learning of Roentgen's discovery. Indeed the precursor of the Radiology Section of the Royal Society of Medicine was known as the British Electrotherapeutic Society which was formed in 1902 in the rooms of the Medical Society of London as a breakaway group from the Roentgen Society. A journal called Medical Electrology and Radiology existed and was the Electrotherapeutic Society's official publication. Radiologists in those days were interested in the therapeutic role of electricity. Indeed in 1907, at the inauguration of the Electrotherapeutic Section of the Royal Society of Medicine, Dr Dean Butcher gave the presidential address entitled "The Future of Electricity in Medicine". Thus we can see that the subject of electricity proved to be of fascination to the early pioneering radiologists soon after the advent of Roentgen's discovery.
Michael Faraday of course was greatly interested in the subject of electricity and became one of the greatest figures in 19th century science. His experiments transformed the science of electricity and he is credited with, among other things, inventing the electric motor. He also investigated the relationship between electricity and magnetism and showed that currents of electricity could be produced by a moving magnet, which led to the eventual development of the electrical power industry. In this splendid biography of Faraday by Morus an expert on the scientific study of electricity in the 19th century, Faraday's seminal contribution to the subject of electricity is discussed and placed within the context of the scientific activities of the Victorian age. We are taken on a tour through his early humble upbringing and given an insight into the scientific milieu of early Victorian London in which Farraday worked and would eventually climb up to reach the highest echelons of the scientific establishment of that era. The relationship between Sir Humphrey Davy and Faraday is covered and his activities at the Royal Institution are elegantly described. The biography of Faraday is set against a backdrop of the scientific activities of London in the Victorian era. Faraday's meticulous experiments and rapid scientific progress are elegantly described. It was interesting to read of the petty jealousies and quibbles between the leading scientific personalities of the time and smile at how little things have changed in the intervening 150 years regarding scientific rivalries.
Faraday was a scientific genius who rose from humble beginnings to reach the pinnacles of the scientific establishment of his day. His research transformed the subject of electricity and laid the foundations for the future development of the early electrical industry in the early 20th century. He influenced a generation of subsequent scientists including James Clarke Maxwell, Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge. Faraday became a Fellow of the Royal Society and became a member of several Societies in Europe and accumulated numerous honours. He was even offered the presidency of the Royal Society in 1855 but refused. He died in 1867. This is a splendid short biography of Faraday beautifully written and a delight to read. It is written for a wide audience and I am sure many radiologists and other doctors will find it of particular interest to learn a little about our scientific heritage.
