John Coldstream

Coldstream's love of natural history led to his election as a member of the student Plinian Society on 18 March 1823; he acted as secretary and treasurer in the same year, and was appointed as one of the presidents in 1824 and 1825.

He noted in his diary religious thoughts,[4] and occasional anguish such as "the foul mass of corruption within my own bosom", "corroding desires" and "lustful imaginations".

[5] Mr William Mackenzie of the Mission House, Passy, befriended him, and later said that though Coldstream had led "a blameless life", he was "more or less in the dark on the vital question of religion, and was troubled with doubts arising from certain Materialist views, which are, alas!

"[6] Coldstream remained in France until June, then set out for Prussia hoping to travel up the Rhine and through Switzerland and the north of Italy, but these plans were cancelled when he became ill in Westphalia and had a mental breakdown, so had to hurry home through the Netherlands.

[9] In 1828 Coldstream declined an offer of the post of assistant in the Natural History Institution at Portsmouth, and in 1829, he settled down as a consultant physician in Leith Hospital.

In a letter dated 28 February 1829 he expressed disappointment that Darwin's planned visit to Edinburgh had been cancelled due to illness, and gave news of his own recent activities.

His interest in the care and education of disabled people led to the establishment in 1855 of the Home and School for Invalid and Imbecile Children in Gayfield Square, Edinburgh, and for five years he was almost a daily visitor.