Charles David Badham
Encyclopedia
Rev. Dr. Charles David Badham MD, FRCP
(27 August 1805 – 14 July 1857) was an English writer
, physician
, entomologist, and mycologist.
, Regius Professor of the Practice of Medicine
at the University of Glasgow
. His mother was Margaret Campbell, known as "the Queen of Scots" and subject of a portrait by Ingres
. His younger brother, confusingly called Charles Badham
, was a noted classical scholar. Adding to the confusion, another younger brother, also called Charles Badham, became vicar
of All Saints Sudbury
in Suffolk
.
Charles David (or simply David) Badham was educated at Westminster
and subsequently at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
where he graduated BA in 1826. Following his father's career in medicine, he went on to Pembroke College, Oxford
, receiving his MB in 1830 and MD
in 1833, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
.
of Wymondham
in Norfolk
by Bishop Stanley
who became his friend. Subsequently he was appointed curate of East Bergholt
in Suffolk
, where he remained till his death..
He married Anna Hume, daughter of James Deacon Hume, Secretary to the Board of Trade
. David's brother Charles (the Sudbury one) married her sister and subsequently wrote a biography of J.D. Hume.
David Badham published a number of medical papers during his early career, but thereafter wrote widely on a range of subjects, mainly natural history, and was a regular contributor to Blackwood's Magazine
and subsequently Frazer's Magazine.
and published a pamphlet whilst in France claiming that insects lacked intelligence or senses, being governed entirely by blind instinct. He continued the same theme in a later book called Insect Life published in 1845. Contemporary reviews suggest that British entomologists thought little of his thesis.
. A second (posthumous) edition was published in 1863, edited by mycologist Frederick Currey
.
Badham became interested in fungi generally, as well as myxomycetes, sending unusual collections to the leading mycologist of the day, the Rev. M.J. Berkeley
.
The myxomycete genera Badhamia and Badhamiopsis are named after him, as are five species of fungi, including the agaric
now known as Leucocoprinus badhamii.
His fungal collections are in the mycological herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
. Some 500 watercolours of fungi painted by his wife Anna were presented to Haslemere Museum.
on fishing. Badham's book treats everything from fish salves for hair growth to mackerels in heraldry.
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
(27 August 1805 – 14 July 1857) was an English writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, entomologist, and mycologist.
Background and education
Charles David Badham was the son of Charles BadhamCharles Badham (physician)
Charles Badham, FRS was a physician from London, England who gave bronchitis its name. He was awarded MD in 1802 by Edinburgh University. He then entered Pembroke College, Oxford. AB , AM , MB , MD He coined the term for the pulmonary disease bronchitis even before the time of René Laennec, a...
, Regius Professor of the Practice of Medicine
Regius Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics, Glasgow
The Regius Chair of Medicine and Therapeutics is considered the oldest Chair at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1989 from the merge of the Regius Chairs of the Practice of Medicine and of Materia Medica...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
. His mother was Margaret Campbell, known as "the Queen of Scots" and subject of a portrait by Ingres
Ingres
Ingres Database is a commercially supported, open-source SQL relational database management system intended to support large commercial and government applications...
. His younger brother, confusingly called Charles Badham
Charles Badham
Charles Badham was an English university professor, active in Australia.-Early life:Badham was born at Ludlow, Shropshire, the fourth son of Charles Badham senior, a classical scholar and regius professor of physic at Glasgow; and Margaret Campbell, a cousin of Thomas Campbell, the poet. His elder...
, was a noted classical scholar. Adding to the confusion, another younger brother, also called Charles Badham, became vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of All Saints Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
Charles David (or simply David) Badham was educated at Westminster
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and subsequently at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
where he graduated BA in 1826. Following his father's career in medicine, he went on to Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, receiving his MB in 1830 and MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1833, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
Medicine and holy orders
David Badham seems to have started his medical career in Scotland, where he achieved some notoriety for setting a patient's irregular heartbeat to music. In 1833, a Radcliffe travelling fellowship allowed Badham to practise medicine in France and Italy, for some of the time as personal physician to Thomas Barrett-Leonard MP. He returned to England in 1845 and, through poor health, relinquished medicine and took holy orders. Badham was appointed curateCurate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Wymondham
Wymondham
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
by Bishop Stanley
Edward Stanley (bishop)
Edward Stanley FRS was a British clergyman and Bishop of Norwich between 1837 and 1849.Born in London into a notable Cheshire family, Stanley was the second son of Sir John Stanley, 6th Baronet, and the younger brother of John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley.Educated at St John's College,...
who became his friend. Subsequently he was appointed curate of East Bergholt
East Bergholt
East Bergholt is a village in the south of Suffolk, England, just north of the Essex border. It is "twinned" with the village of Barbizon, France....
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, where he remained till his death..
He married Anna Hume, daughter of James Deacon Hume, Secretary to the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
. David's brother Charles (the Sudbury one) married her sister and subsequently wrote a biography of J.D. Hume.
David Badham published a number of medical papers during his early career, but thereafter wrote widely on a range of subjects, mainly natural history, and was a regular contributor to Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine. The first number appeared in April 1817 under the editorship of Thomas Pringle and James Cleghorn...
and subsequently Frazer's Magazine.
Entomology
Badham was an early member of the Société entomologique de FranceSociété entomologique de France
The Société entomologique de France, or French Entomological Society, is devoted to the study of insects. It was founded in 1832.The society was created by eighteen Parisian entomologists on January 31, 1832...
and published a pamphlet whilst in France claiming that insects lacked intelligence or senses, being governed entirely by blind instinct. He continued the same theme in a later book called Insect Life published in 1845. Contemporary reviews suggest that British entomologists thought little of his thesis.
Mycology
The Rev. Dr Badham was more successful as a mycologist, writing a well-received Treatise on the esculent funguses of England, published in 1847. He seems to have become interested in the subject as a result of visiting fungus markets in Italy. Eating wild fungi was considered an eccentric and dangerous pastime in England at the time and the book attracted some popular interest, if only as a curiosity. The original edition contained colour plates by the noted mycological illustrator Anna Maria HusseyAnna Maria Hussey
Anna Maria Hussey was a British mycologist, writer, and illustrator.-Family and background:Anna Maria Reed was born in Leckhampstead, Buckinghamshire, one of seven children of Rev. John Theodore Archibald Reed, rector of Leckhampstead, and Anna Maria Dayrell. In 1831 she married Rev...
. A second (posthumous) edition was published in 1863, edited by mycologist Frederick Currey
Frederick Currey
Frederick Currey was a rugby union international who represented England from 1872 to 1872.-Rugby union career:Currey made his international debut on 5 February 1872 at The Oval in the England vs Scotland match.-References:...
.
Badham became interested in fungi generally, as well as myxomycetes, sending unusual collections to the leading mycologist of the day, the Rev. M.J. Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology....
.
The myxomycete genera Badhamia and Badhamiopsis are named after him, as are five species of fungi, including the agaric
Agaric
An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...
now known as Leucocoprinus badhamii.
His fungal collections are in the mycological herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
. Some 500 watercolours of fungi painted by his wife Anna were presented to Haslemere Museum.
Icthyophagy
Badham's last major work was a compilation of articles first published in Frazer's Magazine, with the strange title Prose halieutics, or ancient and modern fish tattle. This consists of anecdotes, classical allusions, and odd facts about fish, fishing, and fish-eating — the "Author's purport" being "to treat of fish icthyophagously, not icthyologically, and to give, not fish science, but fish tattle". The original Halieutica was a classical Greek poem by OppianOppian
Oppian or Oppianus was the name of the authors of two didactic poems in Greek hexameters, formerly identified, but now generally regarded as two different persons: Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia; and Oppian of Apamea in Syria.-Oppian of Corycus:Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia, who flourished in the...
on fishing. Badham's book treats everything from fish salves for hair growth to mackerels in heraldry.
Publications
- Badham, D. (1834). Reflections on the nature of inflammation, and its alleged consequences. 67 pp. Glasgow: University Press
- Badham, D. (1837). The question concerning the sensibility, intelligence, and instinctive actions of insects. 54 pp. Paris: A. Belin
- Badham, D. (1839). Two cases of cerebral disease. London Medical Gazette 23: 900-904
- Badham, C.D. (1845). Insect life. 171 pp. Glasgow: W. Blackwood
- Badham, C.D. (1847). A treatise on the esculent funguses of England. 138 pp. London: Reeve Bros
- Badham, C.D. (1854). Prose halieutics, or ancient and modern fish tattle. 552 pp. London: Parker & Son
- Badham, C.D. (1857). An August at Felixstowe. 37 pp. Ipswich: J. Haddock