SPOTTISWOODE, William. London 11.2.1825 — London 27.6.1883. British Mathematician and Physicist. Son of Andrew Sp. (1787–1866), a printer and politician, and Mary Longman, father’s family originally from Scotland. Educated at Eton and Harrow, in 1842-45 studies of mathematics at Oxford (Balliol College). Then entered his father’s printing firm and worked…
SPIES, Otto. Bad Kreuznach 5.4.1901 — Bonn 29.10.1981. German Semitist (Turkish and Arabic Scholar) also interested in Hindi. Professor in Bonn. Studies of Oriental languages (Ph.D. 1923 under E. Littmann) and law (Dr. juris 1924) at Bonn and Tübingen, then Assistant at Bonn under P. Kahle in 1925-32. PD 1927…
WOEPCKE (Woepke), Franz. Dessau 6.5.1826 — Paris 25.3.1864, when 37. German Oriental (Arabic) Scholar and Historian of Mathematics in France. Son of postmaster Ernst Ludwig W., educated in Dessau. From 1843 studies of mathematics at Berlin. Ph.D. 1847 Berlin. Now studied Arabic at Bonn under Freytag. PD 1850 Bonn. In…
WISE, Thomas Alexander. Dundee 13.6.1802 (?) — Norwood, London 23.7.1889. British (Scottish) Physician in India. Son of Thomas Wise, also a physician. Graduated in medicine, Edinburgh 1824. In 1827-51 in Indian Medical Service, soon became interested in Āyurveda. He studied Sanskrit and achieved an extensive collection of artefacts illustrating the…
WILKINSON, Lancelot. Crosby-Ravensworth, Cumbria 22.6.1805 — Sehore near Bhopal 13.11.1841. British Scholar of Astronomy in India. Son of James W. and Nanny Eggleston. Came to India as a writer around 1822 and joined Bombay C.S. From 1824 Assistant to Collector of Southern Konkan, from 1826 Assistant Resident in Nagpore and…
WIJK, Walter Emile van. Amsterdam 23.1.1887 — Arnhem 14.11.1961. Dutch Scholar of Chronology and History of Science. Son of Wouter van Wijk, an insurer, and Emilie Hunziker. Studies of science at Leiden, 1920 dr. in chemistry. Even before this worked as teacher in adult education. PD of Chronology 1924 Leiden.…
WECKERLING, Adolf. Friedberg, Hessen 22.5.1882 — 1955. German Physician and Poet. In 1900 matriculated from Friedberg, then studied medicine at Giessen and Kiel. Dr.med. 1907 Giessen. Ph.D. 1929 Giessen. From 1933 living in Darmstadt as practising physician. A Nazi. Publications: Diss. Die Tridoṣa-Lehre in der indischen Medizin. 57 p. Frankfurt…
ROYLE, John Forbes. Cawnpore (Kanpur) 10.5.1799 — Acton near London 2.1.1858. British (Scottish) Physician, Botanist and Scientist in India. Son of Capt. William Henry Royle of E.I.C. and his wife Isabella, lost early his father. Educated at Edinburgh and Addiscombe, but soon left the military career and became Assistant Surgeon…
ROTH, Walhter Rudolf (von). Stuttgart 3.4.1821 — Tübingen 23/24.6.1895. German Indologist. Professor in Tübingen. Son of an official, Christoph Wilhelm Roth (1781–1834) and Caroline Regine Walther (d. 1825), of a family of Lutheran priests and teachers, lost his father in the age of 13, but was cared for by the…
ROSEN, Friedrich August. Hannover 2.9.1805 — London 12.9.1837. German Indologist and Oriental Scholar in the U.K. Professor in London. Son of Friedrich Ernst Ballhorn-Rosen (1774–1845), a lawyer and juridical author, and Charlotte Eisendecher (d. 1818), half-brother of the diplomat and Arabic scholar Georg Rosen (1820–1891, the father of younger —>…