Name Whitelaw Ainslie | Role Writer | |
Books Fitz-Raymond, or the rambler on the Rhine: a metrico-polit. sketch of past and present times, written during an excursion in 1800 | ||
Sir Whitelaw Ainslie FRSE (1767–1837) was a British surgeon and writer on materia medica, best known for his work in India.
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Biography
He was born in Duns, Berwickshire on 17 February 1767.
He became assistant surgeon in the East India Company's service on 17 June 1788, and on his arrival in India was appointed garrison surgeon of Chingleput. On 17 October 1794 he was promoted to the grade of surgeon, having been two years previously transferred to Ganjam. In 1810 he was appointed superintending surgeon, the court of directors having approved his motives in drawing up a scheme to improve the health of the troops in India, whilst rejecting the plan proposed. He was named superintending surgeon of the southern division of the army (Madras) in 1814, and two years later the sum of six hundred guineas was awarded to him as a mark of the estimation in which his services were held by the court of directors.
In 1815 he resigned, having served twenty-seven years apparently without any furlough, and returned to England in the autumn of that year. During his residence in India he seems to have published the joint report mentioned below, a ‘Treatise upon Edible Vegetables,’ and the ‘Materia Medica of Hindostan.’ After his return he occupied himself by launching out into different branches of literature, as shown by the appended list of works. In 1835 he refers to himself as being in the ‘vale of years,’ the book being dedicated to his wife.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1829.
He was knighted in 1835.
He died in London on 29 April 1837.
Works
He published the following works: