Editing James Syme (section)

==Early life==
James Syme was born on 7 November 1799  at 56 [[Princes Street]] in [[Edinburgh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Syme, James (1799 - 1870) |url=https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:376054/one?qu=%22rcs%3A+E003871%22&rt=false%7C%7C%7CIDENTIFIER%7C%7C%7CResource+Identifier |website=Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows |publisher=The Royal College of Surgeons of England |access-date=6 August 2022 |location=London |date=11 April 2013}}</ref> His father was John Syme [[writer to the signet|WS]] of Cartmore and [[Lochore]], estates in [[Fife]] and [[Kinross]]. His father lost most of his fortune in attempting to develop the mineral resources of his property. His father had a legal practice at 23 North Hanover Street, not far from [[Princes Street]] in [[Edinburgh]].<ref>Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1808</ref>

James was educated at the [[Royal High School (Edinburgh)|Royal High School]] at the age of nine, and remained until he was fifteen, when he entered the [[University of Edinburgh]]. For two years he frequented the arts classes (including botany), and in 1817 began the medical curriculum, devoting himself with particular keenness to [[chemistry]]. His chemical experiments led him to the discovery that a valuable substance is obtainable from [[coal tar]] which has the property of dissolving [[india-rubber]], and could be used for [[waterproof]]ing silk and other textile fabrics; an idea which was patented a few months afterwards by [[Charles Macintosh]], of [[Glasgow]] (see also [[Mackintosh]]).<ref name="Chisholm_P285">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Syme, James |volume=26 |page=285}}</ref>