D. F. Fraser-Harris

David Fraser Fraser-Harris (February 24, 1867 - January 3, 1937), best known as D. F. Fraser-Harris, was a Scottish Professor of physiology and a writer.

Fraser-Harris was born in Edinburgh. He studied medicine and physiology at the University of Glasgow, where he obtained his MBCM (1893) and M.D. (1897).^[1] He was the senior assistant of physiology at Glasgow (1893-1898) and was Professor of Physiology at the University of St. Andrews (1898-1908). He lectured at University of Birmingham where he obtained his D.Sc.^[2]

Fraser-Harris joined the Physiological Society in 1902 and was a founding member of the Biochemical Society.^[3] He spent a long period of time in Canada. He was Professor of physiology at Dalhousie University (1911-1924). He retired in London, where he wrote books on many subjects.^[2]

He was also interested in parapsychology. He was associated with the National Laboratory of Psychical Research and attended séances with mediums such as Helen Duncan and Rudi Schneider.^[4]

Selected publications

• The Functional Inertia of Living Matter: A Contribution to the Physiological Theory of Life (1908)
• Some Physiological Aspects of Referred Pain (1912)
• The Chemical Basis of Life (1912)
• Nerves (1913)
• The Man Who Discovered the Circulation of the Blood (1913)
• How We Defend Ourselves From Our Foes (1914)
• Shakespeare and Biological Science (1916)
• Life and Science (1924)
• Coloured Thinking and Other Studies in Science and Literature (1928)
• Morpheus, Or, The Future of Sleep (1928)
• The A B C of Nerves (1928)
• The Sixth Sense, and Other Studies in Modern Science (1928)
• The Rhythms of Life and other Essays in Science (1929)

References