In the annals of science and technology, there are visionaries whose ideas were so far ahead of their time that the full implications of their insights are still being unpacked decades or even centuries later. English surgeon and inventor Alfred Smee (1818-1877) is one such figure, whose groundbreaking work in fields as diverse as electro-metallurgy, electro-biology, and banknote printing anticipated key developments in electrical engineering, neuroscience, and computing.
From Medicine to Electro-Metallurgy
Born in 1818 in Camberwell, England, Alfred Smee seemed destined for a life of scientific inquiry. The son of an accountant at the Bank of England, Smee studied medicine at King‘s College, London, becoming a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1840 at the age of 22[^1^].
While establishing his surgical practice, Smee also nurtured a fascination with electricity and chemistry. In 1840, he developed an improved electric battery using platinum-coated silver plates suspended in sulfuric acid[^2^]. Smee‘s battery, which he described in his 1845 book Elements of Electro-Metallurgy, provided a more stable and consistent current than earlier designs.
| Battery Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Electrodes | Silver coated with platinum |
| Electrolyte | Sulfuric acid |
[^2^]: Smee, Alfred (1845). Elements of Electro-Metallurgy. London: E. Palmer. pp. 102-104.
The Smee cell, as it came to be known, found wide application in the electrotyping industry, used to create metal copies of type and engravings[^3^]. Smee‘s research represented an important step in the development of electrical technology, helping to bridge the gap between the early experiments of the 18th century and the more practical applications of the late 19th century.
Electro-Biology and the Mechanics of Thought
It was in the field of electro-biology, however, that Smee would make some of his most prescient and far-reaching contributions. Drawing on his knowledge of anatomy, chemistry, and electricity, Smee sought to unravel the mysteries of the nervous system and the nature of thought itself.
In his 1849 book Elements of Electro-Biology, Smee put forth a model of the brain based on the electrical stimulation of nerve fibers. He proposed that each fiber represented a specific property or concept, and that complex ideas arose from the combination of these properties through networks of nerves[^4^].
[^4^]: Smee, Alfred (1849). Elements of Electro-Biology. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 92.Smee‘s model, while rudimentary by today‘s standards, anticipated key concepts in modern neuroscience. The idea that thoughts and perceptions emerge from patterns of electrical activity across networks of neurons is now a cornerstone of our understanding of the brain. Techniques like electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measure electrical and metabolic activity in the brain, respectively, have validated many of Smee‘s basic insights[^5^].
[^5^]: Sporns, Olaf (2010). Networks of the Brain. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. p. 1. ISBN 9780262014694.In The Process of Thought Adapted to Words and Language (1851), Smee took his reasoning a step further, describing theoretical "relational" or "differential" machines that could emulate the information processing of the human brain[^6^]. Although the necessary electronics did not yet exist to build such devices, Smee‘s ideas anticipated the development of artificial neural networks and machine learning algorithms that are now at the forefront of artificial intelligence research.
[^6^]: Smee, Alfred (1851). The Process of Thought Adapted to Words and Language. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 80.As Smee himself put it:
[^7^]: ibid, p. 202."It is by no means impossible that, in a future age, an instrument may be devised wherein the electric currents may excite the mechanism of thought, more completely than takes place in the human brain."[^7^]
Securing the Banknote
Alongside his theoretical work, Smee also applied his expertise to more practical ends. As a surgeon for the Bank of England, he was tasked with combating the problem of banknote counterfeiting, which had become rampant in the early 19th century[^8^].
Smee developed a more stable ink for banknotes that resisted fading and chemical erasure. He also refined the printing process to produce finer details and more intricate designs that were harder to replicate. His innovations helped to significantly reduce the incidence of counterfeiting in England[^9^].
[^8^]: Duggleby, Vincent (2001). English Paper Money. Pam West. p. 76. ISBN 0954345304.[^9^]: ibid, p. 78.
Cultivating a Legacy
Outside of his scientific pursuits, Smee was a devoted family man and an avid orchid enthusiast. He married Elizabeth Hutchison in 1840, and the couple had two daughters and a son, Alfred Hutchison Smee, who would follow in his father‘s footsteps as a surgeon[^10^].
In his later years, Smee indulged his passion for botany, maintaining an extensive garden and developing new orchid hybrids. His 1872 book My Garden, dedicated to his wife, offered a detailed account of his horticultural methods and the joys of tending to his plants[^11^].
[^10^]: Smee, Elizabeth Mary (1878). Memoir of the Late Alfred Smee, F.R.S. London: George Bell and Sons. p. 5.[^11^]: Smee, Alfred (1872). My Garden: Its Plan and Culture. London: Bell and Daldy.
Smee passed away in 1877 at the age of 58, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and discovery that spanned multiple disciplines. His ideas on electro-biology and artificial intelligence, while speculative in his own time, have proven remarkably prescient in light of subsequent developments in neuroscience and computing.
Today, Smee‘s influence can be seen in fields as diverse as neural network computing, brain-computer interfaces, and computational neuroscience. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the brain and develop ever more sophisticated artificial intelligence, it is clear that Smee‘s insights will only become more relevant.
Perhaps Smee himself put it best when he wrote:
[^12^]: Smee, Alfred (1851). The Process of Thought Adapted to Words and Language. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. p. 212."The day may not be far distant when the physicist shall make an artificial brain which shall pulsate with electricity, as man‘s brain vibrates with nervous force."[^12^]
In Alfred Smee, we find a visionary who dared to imagine a future in which the boundaries between mind, machine, and electricity dissolve. As we stand on the cusp of that future, his story serves as a reminder of the power of interdisciplinary thinking and the enduring impact of a curious, inventive mind.
