FORBES, JAMES, M.D. (1779–1837), inspector-general of army hospitals, was born at Aberdeen in 1779, and received his general education at Marischal College there. For the study of medicine he went to Edinburgh, where he graduated M.D. In 1803 he entered the army as assistant-surgeon to the 30th regiment, became surgeon to the 95th regiment in 1809, and staff-surgeon the same year. He was in the retreat from Corunna, and immediately after accompanied the expedition to Walcheren, where he was commended for his abilities and zeal during the disastrous prevalence of intermittent fever and other camp sickness. He then returned to service in the Peninsula, receiving the rank of physician to the forces. After the peace he was appointed to take charge of the large hospital erected at Colchester for the sick and wounded from the field of Waterloo. He then became successively superintendent of Chelsea Hospital and medical director at Chatham. In 1822 he returned to foreign service in the West Indies, Nova Scotia, and Canada. In 1829 he was appointed principal medical officer in Ceylon, from which he returned in 1836 with his health broken by the climate. He was promoted to the rank of inspector-general of hospitals, and nominated to the chief direction of the army medical department in India, but was unable from ill-health to proceed to his post. He died 7 Nov. 1837 at Maddox Street, Regent Street, London, in his fifty-ninth year, and was buried in Rochester Cathedral. No writings of his appear in library catalogues.
[Gent. Mag. February 1838.]
FORBES, JAMES DAVID (1809–1868), man of science, youngest son of Sir William Forbes, seventh baronet of Pitsligo, and Williamina Belches, sole child and heiress of John Belches of Invermay, Perthshire, afterwards Sir John Belches Stuart of Fettercairn, Kincardineshire, was born at Edinburgh on 20 April 1809. His mother had been the first love of Sir Walter Scott. Forbes was educated at home until the age of sixteen, when he entered the university of Edinburgh, with a view to joining the bar. His natural bent, however, soon drew him to the study of physics, and at a very early age he contributed anonymously some able papers to Sir David Brewster's scientific periodical, the ‘Philosophical Journal.’ He avowed the authorship after a time, when Brewster encouraged his scientific zeal, and proposed him as a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was elected at the unprecedentedly early age of nineteen. Forbes now relinquished his legal studies, in opposition to Brewster's prudent advice. In the spring of 1831 Forbes visited London, Cambridge, and Oxford, where he formed friendships with Mrs. Somerville, Herschel, Babbage, Whewell, Lyell, Airy, and Buckland. The same year he co-operated with Brewster in the foundation of the British Association. In 1832 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. Forbes had started on an extensive scientific tour in the summer of 1832, when he was suddenly recalled from Geneva by news of the death of Sir John Leslie, professor of natural philosophy in the university of Edinburgh. Sir John Herschel, in a testimonial, spoke of him ‘as marked by nature for scientific distinction.’ His friend Brewster was his chief opponent, and a temporary coolness resulted. Forbes was elected, after a very exciting contest, by a majority of twenty-seven to nine, 30 Jan. 1833. He soon justified his selection. ‘In addition to high scientific genius,’ says Principal Shairp (Life of Forbes), ‘a finely cultivated literary taste and style, and natural powers of eloquence, perfected by the best aids of art’ (he took lessons in elocution from Mrs. Siddons), Forbes had ‘a dignified and commanding presence, and gentle and refined manners, wielded by a will of rare strength, purity, and elevation.’
In his lectures Forbes traversed the whole range of natural philosophy, but the manuscripts were by his orders destroyed by his executors. His discovery of the polarisation of heat soon indicated his genius as a scientific investigator. The professorial work achieved by Forbes included the institution of a complete system of examining, which is still in force. In 1837 Forbes was appointed dean of the Faculty of Arts, in special recognition of the part which he had taken in establishing the improved system. In 1841 and subsequently Forbes was very active in the discussions arising out of a bequest by General Reid. Forbes was anxious to devote this to a superannuation fund for professors. He afterwards induced the senatus to apply this and the Straton bequest of 1842 to the foundation of fellowships. It was finally decided, however, by the law courts that the Reid fund should be devoted to the music chair. He had some sharp encounters with opponents, especially with Sir William Hamilton, but without losing their respect or friendship. Forbes meanwhile continued his experiments, and carried on a correspondence with many of the most distinguished men of science of the day.
Forbes's vacations at this time (1840–2) were spent in Alpine travels and glacier investigations, which yielded scientific results of the first importance. He married Alicia,
