ALS. To Joseph Fayrer (1824-1907), refusing to sponsor his paper for Royal Society as Dr. (T.L.) Brunton is now among us.
Jany 18, 1875.
Price: $500.00
About the item
2 pp. old folds, small tape repair. Desmond, A; Huxley From Devil's Disciple to Evolution's High Priest. Reading, 1997, p.36.
Item #261826
Huxley and Fayrer met in 1844 at the University of London. "Fayrer became a firm friend. The two often worked through the night..." (Desmond). Indeed, it was Fayrer, who suggested Huxley take to the sea and thus he joined the Rattlesnake under the command of Owen Stanley (1846-50).
Having returned from the Rattlesnake voyage (1846-50), he became the professor of natural history at the Royal School of Mines and later president of the Royal Society. Though is best known as "Darwin's bulldog" for his strident advocacy of his theory of evolution. He also coined the term "agnostic".
Fayrer was famous for the treatment of snakebite and, at the time of writing, was gearing up for membership of the Royal Society. He was proposed for election in March and finally admitted in April 1877.
