Crookes, carbolic and cattle plague

Forging a scientific career in 19th-century Britain was difficult for most middle-class scientists. Despite his discovery of thallium in 1861 and later distinction as an experimental physicist that led him to the Presidency of the Royal Society (1913-1915), William Crookes (1832-1919) never obtained one of the limited number of academic or official positions. Scientific journalism and commercial activities were eventually to bring him financial security, but before that he was an opportunist willing to try his hand at anything that would win him national publicity. This is illustrated by his intervention in the great cattle plague epidemic that swept the UK between 1865 and 1866.