Malcolm Arthur Smith
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Arthur Smith was a herpetologist and physician
working in the Malay Peninsula
.
in 1898, he left for the then Kingdom of Siam
(today Thailand
) as a doctor to the British Embassy in Bangkok
.
at the Natural History Museum, London. He left in 1925 to continue his studies at the museum in London.
He was the founder and president of the British Herpetological Society which operated from within the Linnean Society.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
working in the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
.
Early life
He was interested in reptiles and amphibians from an early age. After completing a degree in medicine and surgery in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1898, he left for the then Kingdom of Siam
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
(today Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) as a doctor to the British Embassy in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
Work
He went on to become the physician in the royal court of Siam and was a close confidante and a doctor to the royal family. He published his observations on the reptiles and amphibians during his stint there and was in regular correspondence with BoulengerGeorge Albert Boulenger
George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:...
at the Natural History Museum, London. He left in 1925 to continue his studies at the museum in London.
He was the founder and president of the British Herpetological Society which operated from within the Linnean Society.
Publications
- 1926 Monograph of the Sea-snakes
- 1947, A Physician at the Court of Siam
- (1931–1943) The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. 3 volumes on Reptiles and Amphibians.
- 1951 The British Amphibians and Reptiles