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The famous author of the "Bibliotheca Britannica" was born on May 1st,
1774, at the farm of Bonnyton in the Parish of Stewarton. (The farm is now
known as Girgenti - click on photo for more information).
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An extract from the Stewarton Parish Church Records, now
kept in Register House, Edinburgh, states :- "1774, May first, Robt, a son
to John Watt, in Bonnyton, and Janet Calderwood, his spouse, baptised 2."
He entered Glasgow (University) in 1793, where he obtained a prize in the
Greek class. In 1795 he went to Edinburgh to study Moral and Natural
Philosophy. During the vacation in 1796 he conducted a private school in
Kilmaurs parish, where he attracted the attention of the Rev. John Russell
of Kilmarnock, who is supposed to have recommended the study of Divinity.
(Rev. J. Russell was known to the Poet Robert Burns and was mentioned in
several of his poems attacking the Ayrshire clergy. He wrote on one
occasion of Russell - "His piercing words, like Highland swords; Divide
the joints and marrow.") In 1797 we find he re-entered Edinburgh
University and enrolled in the Anatomy and Divinity classes, which would
appear a strange mixture in these days. About this time he gained a £10
prize for an essay on ''Regeneration", about which Professor Hunter said
"/f was not only a good essay, but it was the first time under him that a
student of the first year's standing attempted and succeeded so well and
so deservedly". Watt spent the year 1798 as Symington schoolmaster, where
he is supposed to have written his essay on "Prayer" for which he was
awarded 1st prize and a monetary sum at Edinburgh University, At this time
the Rev Mr Logan, minister in Symington, recommended him to give up the
study of Divinity and devote his whole attention to medical subjects in
Glasgow University. He obtained his MD degree from King's College,
Aberdeen, on 20th March, 1810, but he had previously obtained a licence of
the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 1799, when he entered
general practice in Smith hills Street, Paisley.
In 1800 he invented an instrument for operating for the stone, and during
May 1801, he published an article on Smallpox and Vaccination. During his
residence in Paisley he built up an enormous practice, as well as making a
name for himself in the medical literary world. In 1806 he was one of the
founder members of the Paisley Medical Society. During 1808 he wrote and
published his treatise on Diabetes which he dedicated "to his partner and
friend, Dr. James Muir", and he also contributed some valuable papers to
the London Medical Journal. In 1810 he returned to Glasgow where he
conducted a class on "The Theory and Practice of Medicine", and occupied a
large house in Queen Street. About this time he published a "Catalogue of
Medical books for the use
of Students attending the principles and practice of medicine, with an
address to medical students on the best method of prosecuting their
studies, Glasgow 1812". During 1819 he published the first part of the
"Bibliotheca" but before this time wrote a valuable treatise on "Chincough"
dedicated to Sir Gilbert Blane, and "An Inquiry into the Relative
Mortality of the Principal Diseases of Children", on the title page of
which he wrote an appropriate motto.
After the introduction of Vaccination he found that deaths from Smallpox
had greatly diminished, about which he says, "To ascertain the real amount
of this saving of infantile life, I turned up the records of one of the
later years, and by accident that of 1808, when to my utter astonishment,
I found that still half perished before the tenth year of their age! I
could hardly believe the testimony of my reason, and therefore began to
turn up the testimony of other years, when I found that in all of them the
proportion was less than in 1808, but still, on taking the average of
several years, it amounted to nearly the same thing as at any former
period during the last thirty years. This was a discovery by no means
expected, and how it came to pass appeared to me inexplicable" Dr. Watt
was a member of the Medical and Chirugical Society of London, to which he
sent an able article on Cholera during 1814. About this time he started
the Glasgow Medical Society, and had the honour of being appointed first
President, as well as being elected Physician to the Royal Infirmary of
Glasgow, and President of the Faculty and Physicians and Surgeons of
Glasgow. In 1816 he was elected President of the Glasgow Philosophical
Society. About this time his health began to fail, and he found it
necessary to resign his position at the Royal Infirmary, as well as
President of the Faculty. During the early months of 1817 he retired from
active practice, hoping that he would be able to finish his "Bibliotheca"
before he died. At this time he removed to Campvale and remained there
until his death, which was announced in the Glasgow Herald of March 22nd,
1819, as having occurred on the 12th inst., in his 45th year. He was
interred within the burial grounds of Cathedral Churchyard, Glasgow,
unfortunately there is no memorial stone to mark the grave. Some authors
state that the cause of death was a stomach disorder, whilst others say he
died of consumption. The fullest account of the Life and Works of Dr.
Robert Watt has been published in book form by Dr. James Finlayson,
Physician to the Glasgow Western Infirmary and the Royal Hospital for Sick
Children, who states that Watt's "Bibliotheca Britannica" is known
wherever English bibliography is cultivated, whether in this country or
abroad.
Annickvale.
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