A man o' parts : a case study of an enlightened man, Sir Gilbert Blane, bart.
Date
1985
Authors
McFadden, Katherine Rachelle
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Abstract
Europe in the eighteenth witnessed a period of enlightenment in which philosophers redefined man and his social relationships. In Scotland, the universities were the main vehicles of the enlightenment. Yet it was not simply an intellectual movement; social, cultural and political features of life and society were affected. The initial developments relating to man and society were in the sphere of moral philosophy but were increasingly translated into other fields. The natural sciences, and particularly the medical faculties of Scottish universities, were to make particular use of the empirical methods advocated. Of considerable importance was the medical faculty at Edinburgh University, an institution that became a world renowned center of learning.
The enlightenment in Scotland was not a parochial affair. The work of Adam Smith, Adam Ferguson, David Hume and many others was felt far abroad. The primary beneficiary was England and it received not just ideas but also a considerable influx of men fresh from the Scottish universities. The medical faculties were a prime source of new talent. Gilbert Blane was one such young doctor. He had received his schooling at Edinburgh at the height of the enlightenment in the 1770s. His diverse range of interests and passion for facts and figures characterized the 'enlightened' approach that was strongly evident in his subsequent career as a physician in England.
The great impact he had in the reform of medical practices and standards in the Royal Navy was out of all proportion to the meager place accorded him in the historical annals of the Navy. His reforms were pushed slowly forward in a continuous battle but Blane made considerable headway in completing reforms for the treatment of scurvy and other sea diseases prevalent among the crew of the Navy - reforms not just in practical terms but also by improving the regulations of the Navy.
While his connection with the Navy continued through to the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Blane's interests also branched into civilian affairs. During the wars and in the post-war period of social and political ferment he kept abreast of the many reform issues and contributed his expertise whenever possible. Whether making recommendations in the Navy or the civilian spheres, Blane believed it important, first, to educate the people to whom he was appealing to of the need for reform and, second, to make his suggestions as attractive as possible for all parties concerned. In accordance with the philosophy of the enlightenment, Blane thought that the expansion of the mind through education was beneficial for a better understanding by man, of himself and his environment. His consistent employment of these methods proved him to be truly an enlightened man.