William Robinson Pirie was born at the manse of Slains, Aberdeenshire, on 26 July 1804. He studied at University and King's College, Aberdeen, during sessions 1817–21, but did not graduate. He spent some time in a lawyer's office in Aberdeen, but then attended theological classes during sessions 1821–25. He preached in Ellon, Dyce and at Greyfriars' Church in Aberdeen. In 1843 he was appointed Professor of Divinity in Marischal College and University, and in the following year received the honorary degree of D.D., both from Marischal College and from King's College. On the union of the two colleges in 1860 he was assigned the professorship of Divinity and Church History. On the death of Principal Campbell in 1876, Pirie became the resident head of the university, retaining this post until his death. William Robinson Pirie, Professor of Divinity and Principal of the University of Aberdeen, died on 3 November 1885.

This letter from Pirie appears to relate to 'Galvanism' and an argument around the subject, or an aspect of it. Galvanism is the contraction of a muscle that is stimulated by an electric current. In physics and chemistry, it is the induction of electrical current from a chemical reaction, typically between two chemicals with differing electronegativities. The effect was named after the scientist Luigi Galvani, who investigated the effect of electricity on dissected animals in the 1780s and 1790s.

The modern study of galvanic effects in biology is called electrophysiology, the term galvanism being used only in historical contexts.