John Ayrton Paris

John Ayrton Paris, FRS (7 August 1785 – 24 December 1856) was a British physician.

[1] Paris made one of the earliest observations of occupational causes of cancer when, in 1822, he recognised that exposure to arsenic fumes might be contributing to the unusually high rate of scrotal skin cancer among men working in copper-smelting in Cornwall and Wales.

[2] He also wrote about accidents caused by explosives in mines and gave lectures on chemistry to the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall,[3] serving as its first secretary.

The exact date and location of Paris's birth are uncertain, with some sources listing August 7, 1785, and others noting either Cambridge or Edinburgh as his birthplace, a city with which he had connections.

Around 1824[citation needed] Paris wrote Philosophy in Sport made Science in Earnest: Being an Attempt to Implant in the Young Mind the First Principles of Natural Philosophy by the Aid of the Popular Toys and Sports of Youth.