Edwin John Butler
Encyclopedia
Sir Edwin John Butler FRS (13 August 1874 – 4 April 1943) was a British mycologist
and plant pathologist. He became the Imperial Mycologist in India and later the first director of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology
in England. He was knighted in 1939.
, County Clare
, the son of Thomas Butler, a resident magistrate
. He initially went to school in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
but returned to Ireland in 1887 due to illness and studied under a tutor. A library in Cahersiveen where his father was transferred helped him develop an interest in a diverse range of topics. In 1890 his health improved and he went to the Christian Brothers School
followed by Queen's College, Cork, where in 1898 he took the degrees of M.B.,B.Ch., and B.A.O.
, a Professor of Natural History. Hartog was researching Saprolegnia
a genus
of fungus-like water moulds and Butler learnt techniques of study which he later applied to the related genus Pythium
. He went to Paris, Antibes, Freiburg, and Kew, spending time in the Jardin des Plantes
in Paris in the laboratory of mycologist Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem. In 1900, at the recommendation of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
, he was appointed as the first Cryptogamic Botanist to the Government of India at Calcutta
.
In 1902, Butler was transferred to Dehra Dun
under the Imperial Agricultural Department. During a visit to Coorg
he studied spike disease
of sandalwood
which was later studied by L. C. Coleman, the Government Botanist in the state of Mysore
. In 1905 he became Imperial Mycologist at the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute
at Pusa
. He published a monograph of the Indian wheat rusts
in 1906 and his research on Pythium
in 1907. In 1918 he produced "Fungi and diseases in plants", which became a standard reference work for tropical plant pathologists. Between 1910 and 1912 Butler additionally held the office of Director and Principal at the Agricultural College in Pusa. In 1921 his services to India were recognised and he was awarded the Order of the Indian Empire
.
, Surrey
, which was intended to research and provide information on plant diseases throughout the British empire. He helped staff and establish the bureau, later known as the International Mycological Institute
, until his resignation in 1935. Among his later studies were Panama disease
of bananas, witch's broom
disease of cacao in Trinidad
, and Yellow Leaf disease of tea in Nyasaland
. In 1930 he published the Fungi of India along with G. R. Bisby. Butler subsequently became the first paid secretary of the Agricultural Research Council
until ill-health forced his retirement in 1941.
Butler was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1926 and was president of the British Mycological Society
in 1927. He was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George
(CMG) in 1932 and was knighted in 1939. He died in 1944 following an attack of influenza.
Several species of fungal pathogens were named by him and many have been named in his honour.
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
and plant pathologist. He became the Imperial Mycologist in India and later the first director of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology
International Mycological Institute
The International Mycological Institute was a non-profit organization, based in England, that undertook research and disseminated information on fungi, particularly plant pathogenic species causing crop diseases...
in England. He was knighted in 1939.
Background and education
E.J. Butler was born in KilkeeKilkee
Kilkee is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town, one of the most famous resorts in Ireland, is particularly popular as a seaside resort with people from Limerick City...
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, the son of Thomas Butler, a resident magistrate
Resident Magistrate
A resident magistrate is a title for magistrates used in certain parts of the world, that were, or are, governed by the British. Sometimes abbreviated as RM, it refers to suitably qualified personnel - notably well versed in the law - brought into an area from outside as the local magistrate,...
. He initially went to school in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Gainsborough is a town 15 miles north-west of Lincoln on the River Trent within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. At one time it served as an important port with trade downstream to Hull, and was the most inland in England, being more than 55 miles from the North...
but returned to Ireland in 1887 due to illness and studied under a tutor. A library in Cahersiveen where his father was transferred helped him develop an interest in a diverse range of topics. In 1890 his health improved and he went to the Christian Brothers School
Christian Brothers College, Cork
Christian Brothers College, Cork is a fee-paying Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust in Cork, Ireland....
followed by Queen's College, Cork, where in 1898 he took the degrees of M.B.,B.Ch., and B.A.O.
Career in India
Butler took an initial interest in botany thanks to Marcus HartogMarcus Hartog
Marcus Manuel Hartog was an English natural historian and educator in Cork, Ireland. He contributed to multiple volumes of the Cambridge Natural History....
, a Professor of Natural History. Hartog was researching Saprolegnia
Saprolegnia
Saprolegnia is a genus of freshwater mould often called a "cotton mould" because of the characteristic white or grey fibrous patches it forms. Current taxonomy puts Saprolegnia as a genus of the heterokonts in the order Saprolegniales.-Habits:...
a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of fungus-like water moulds and Butler learnt techniques of study which he later applied to the related genus Pythium
Pythium
Pythium is a genus of parasitic oomycete. Most species are plant parasites, but Pythium insidiosum is an important pathogen of animals...
. He went to Paris, Antibes, Freiburg, and Kew, spending time in the Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes
The Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France. It is one of seven departments of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle. It is situated in the 5ème arrondissement, Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine and covers 28 hectares .- Garden plan :The grounds of the Jardin des...
in Paris in the laboratory of mycologist Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem. In 1900, at the recommendation of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
, he was appointed as the first Cryptogamic Botanist to the Government of India at Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.
In 1902, Butler was transferred to Dehra Dun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
under the Imperial Agricultural Department. During a visit to Coorg
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
he studied spike disease
Sandal spike phytoplasma
Sandal , a semi-root parasitic tree is the source of the East Indian sandalwood and oil. Spike disease caused by phytoplasma is the major disease of sandalwood....
of sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
which was later studied by L. C. Coleman, the Government Botanist in the state of Mysore
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
. In 1905 he became Imperial Mycologist at the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute is India's premier national Institute for agricultural research, education and extension. It has served the cause of science and society with distinction through first rate research, generation of appropriate technologies and development of human resources...
at Pusa
Samastipur District
Samastipur is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar in India. The district headquarters are located at Samastipur. The district occupies an area of 2904 km² and has a population of 27,16,929 .- History :...
. He published a monograph of the Indian wheat rusts
Rust (fungus)
Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales. About 7800 species are known. Rusts can affect a variety of plants; leaves, stems, fruits and seeds. Rust is most commonly seen as coloured powder, composed off tiny aeciospores which land on vegetation producing...
in 1906 and his research on Pythium
Pythium
Pythium is a genus of parasitic oomycete. Most species are plant parasites, but Pythium insidiosum is an important pathogen of animals...
in 1907. In 1918 he produced "Fungi and diseases in plants", which became a standard reference work for tropical plant pathologists. Between 1910 and 1912 Butler additionally held the office of Director and Principal at the Agricultural College in Pusa. In 1921 his services to India were recognised and he was awarded the Order of the Indian Empire
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
.
Career in England
In 1920, Butler returned to the United Kingdom to take up the post of director at the new Imperial Bureau of Mycology at KewKew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, which was intended to research and provide information on plant diseases throughout the British empire. He helped staff and establish the bureau, later known as the International Mycological Institute
International Mycological Institute
The International Mycological Institute was a non-profit organization, based in England, that undertook research and disseminated information on fungi, particularly plant pathogenic species causing crop diseases...
, until his resignation in 1935. Among his later studies were Panama disease
Panama disease
Panama disease, a Fusarium wilt, is a banana plant disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. The fungus attacks the roots of the banana plant. The disease is resistant to fungicide and cannot be controlled chemically.-History:...
of bananas, witch's broom
Witch's broom
A Witch's broom is a disease or deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed. A dense mass of shoots grows from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird's nest....
disease of cacao in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, and Yellow Leaf disease of tea in Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
. In 1930 he published the Fungi of India along with G. R. Bisby. Butler subsequently became the first paid secretary of the Agricultural Research Council
Agricultural and Food Research Council
The Agricultural and Food Research Council , was a British Research Council responsible for funding and managing scientific and technological developments in farming and horticulture....
until ill-health forced his retirement in 1941.
Butler was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1926 and was president of the British Mycological Society
British Mycological Society
The British Mycological Society is a learned society established in 1896 to promote the study of fungi.-Formation:The Society was formed based on the efforts of two local societies, the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club of Hereford and the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. The curator of the Hereford...
in 1927. He was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG) in 1932 and was knighted in 1939. He died in 1944 following an attack of influenza.
Several species of fungal pathogens were named by him and many have been named in his honour.
Commemoration in Ireland
The work of Sir Edwin John Butler is commemorated in the naming of a building at University College Cork (formerly Queen's College, Cork) in his honour. The Butler Building houses plant science teaching and research facilities, part of the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the university.Selected publications
- 1903. Report on 'Spike' disease among sandalwood trees.
- 1906. (With J. M. Hayman and W. H. Moreland) Indian wheat rusts. Mem. Dep. Agric. India, Bot. Ser. (2) 1, 58 pp. 1 graph, 5 pls. (4 col.).
- 1908. Report on coconut palm disease in Travancore. Bull. Agric. Res. Inst. Pusa, no. 9, 23 pp.
- 1909. Fomes lucidus (Leys) Fr. a suspected parasite. Indian Forester, 35, 514-518, 1 col. pl.
- 1918. Fungi and disease in plants. Thacker, Spink & Co. Calcutta. vi+547 pp. 206 figs.
- 1924. Bud-rot of coconut and other palms. Rep. Imp. Bot. Conf. Lond. July 1924, 145-147.
- 1925. Meteorological conditions and plant diseases. Int. Ree. Sci. Pract. Agric. n.s. (2) 3, 369-384.
- 1926. The wilt diseases of cotton and sesamum in India. Agric. J. India, (4)21,268-273, 1pl.
- 1931. (With G. R. Bisby) The fungi of India. Scientific Monograph Imperial Council of Agric. Research no. 1, xviii+237 pp. 1 map.