Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Smyth, James Carmichael (1741-1821)
SMYTH, JAMES CARMICHAEL (1741–1821), medical writer, only son of Thomas Carmichael of Balmadie and Margaret Smyth of Athenry, was born in Fifeshire in 1741. He assumed the name and arms of Smyth in addition to his own. After studying for six years at Edinburgh University, he graduated as M.D. in 1764, taking for his thesis ‘De Paralysi,’ and introducing into it a short history of medical electricity. He then visited France, Italy, and Holland. In 1768 he settled in London, and received the appointment of physician to the Middlesex Hospital. He engaged in experiments with nitrous-acid gas for prevention of contagion in cases of fever, these experiments being continued at the request of the government on board the Spanish prison-ship at Winchester, where an epidemic prevailed. In 1802, for his services in this respect, parliament voted him a reward of 5,000l. His claim to the merit of the discovery was disputed by Dr. James Johnstone of Kidderminster, for his father, and by M. Chaptal, a Frenchman, for Guyton-Morveau; but, after a keen controversy, Smyth's claims were upheld. He subsequently went to the south of France for his health, and on his return settled at Sunbury. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society in May 1779 (Thomson, Hist. of Royal Soc. App. p. lvii), and was also a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and physician-extraordinary to George III. He died on 18 June 1821. In 1775 he married Mary, only child and heiress of Thomas Holyland of Bromley, Kent, and had by her eight sons and two daughters. His eldest son was General Sir James Carmichael Smyth (1779–1838) [q. v.] His eldest daughter, Maria, married, in 1800, Dr. Alexander Monro ‘tertius’ [q. v.]
Smyth was the author of a large number of medical treatises illustrative of his experiments. Among them were: 1. ‘An Account of the Effects of Swinging, employed as a remedy in Pulmonary Consumption,’ London, 1787, 8vo. 2. ‘A Description of the Jail Distemper, as it appeared among the Spanish Prisoners at Winchester in 1780,’ London, 1795, 8vo. 3. ‘An Account of the Experiments made on board the Union Hospital Ship to determine the Effect of the Nitrous Acid in destroying Contagion,’ London, 1796, 8vo. 4. ‘The Effect of the Nitrous Vapour in preventing and destroying Contagion,’ London, 1799, 8vo. 5. ‘Letter to William Wilberforce’ [on Dr. Johnstone's claim], 1805, London, 8vo. 6. ‘Remarks on a Report of M. Chaptal,’ 1805, London, 8vo. 7. ‘A Treatise on Hydrocephalus,’ 1814, London, 8vo. Smyth also edited the ‘Works of the late Dr. William Stark,’ 1788, London, 4to.
[Gent. Mag. 1821, ii. 88–9; Anderson's Scottish Nation.]