Erasmus Alvey Darwin: Encyclopedia II - Erasmus Alvey Darwin - Education

Erasmus Alvey Darwin - Education

He attended Shrewsbury School 1815–1822 as a boarder, and as a frail and studious boy his interest was in books and plants rather than sports. His mother died in 1817 and he was joined at the school by his brother Charles in September 1818. Eras became bored with the classical curriculum and took an interest in chemistry, with Charles as his assistant. They had a garden shed at their home fitted out as a laboratory.

In 1822 Eras went on to a medical course at Christ's College, Cambridge. When it came to be time for his one year external hospital study in 1825 he went to Edinburgh University, accompanying his younger brother who was just starting a course there in medicine. They planned ahead, Erasmus thinking "It will be very pleasant our being together, we shall be as cozy as possible", arriving early at Edinburgh to make social contact with old friends of the family in Whig society, and so "we can both read like horses". Erasmus enrolled with John Lizars, a "charming" and respectable surgeon on the other side of Surgeon's Square from his chief rival as a private tutor, the flamboyant Robert Knox who two years later became embroiled with the body-snatchers Burke and Hare. At the end of his hospital study year Erasmus enrolled in a London anatomy school, leaving Charles behind.

By 1828 Erasmus was ready to sit his Bachelor of Medicine exam at the University of Cambridge, and early in the new year he was accompanied to Cambridge by his brother Charles who had given up on medical studies and was now starting a course to qualify as a clergyman. That summer he went on a Continental tour to Munich, Milan and Vienna, and on his return home at the Christmas holiday he and Charles visited London, touring the scientific institutions.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Education", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki