was also the author of Observations on the London and Edinburgh Dispensatories and Materia Medica Antiqua et Nova, repurgata et illustrata, both posthumously published; and A Spiritual Diary and Soliloquies, which his executors were compelled by a clause in his will, to print. It is scarcely possible, says the authority before cited, to read it or characterise it with gravity, being a series of pious meditations, perpetually interrupted with records of too much whiskey, piggish or swinish eating, and ill-temper. He was, however, it is said, a man of great temperance and forbearance, rather exemplary than blameable, as well as a very useful and learned physician. His death occurred on the 27th of April, 1775.

NICHOLLS, (FRANK,) the son of a barrister, was born in London, in the year 1699, and removed, in 1714, from Westminster School to the University of Oxford, where, after having filled the office of anatomical reader, and taken the degree of M. A. he proceeded to that of M. D. in 1729. He then commenced practice in Cornwall, whence he soon removed to London, and rapidly attained considerable celebrity in his profession. His lectures, it is said, were attended not only by a large class of pupils, but by a great number of surgeons, physicians and apothecaries. His reputation was much increased by his successful mode of treating the military fever; and at length, after having read the Gulstonian lectures in 1734 and 1736, delivered the Harveian oration in 1739, and succeeded, in 1748, to the office of chirurgical lecturer to the College of Physicians, of which he had been admitted a member in 1732, he was appointed, in 1753, physician to George the Second, of whose last illness and death he published an account. His other works consist of a satire, entitled, The Petition of the Unborn Babes to the Censors of the Royal College of Physicians, which is attributed to the circumstance of a junior member having been chosen one of the elect in preference to himself; Compendium Anatomico-œconomicum, in which he makes several hypothetical propositions relative to the action of the muscular fibres, the evacuation of

the bladder, the motion of the heart, &c.; De Animâ Medicâ, in which he attempts to support the notion of Helmont and Stahl, that a vital soul or principle acts spontaneously and rationally in the preservation of health, and the cure of diseases; and De Motu Cordis et Sanguinis, illustrated by engravings, in which he endeavours to establish" a succession and synochrism of motions in the heart different from that laid down by Harvey;" and a tract against man-midwifery. He also communicated to the Royal Society, of which he was a fellow, an account of a disease, in which the pulmonary vein had been coughed up; Observations on the nature of Aneurisms, in which he controverted the opinion of Dr. Freind on that subject; and several other papers. He was particularly eminent for his skill in making anatomical injections, and is said to have invented eroded preparations of the viscera. He died at Epsom, on the 7th of January, 1778, leaving issue by his wife, a daughter of Dr. Mead, whom he had married in 1743.

BLACKWELL, (ALEXANDER,) the son of a stocking dealer, at Aberdeen, after having received a liberal education at that place, studied physic, under the celebrated Boerhaave, and took his degree of M. D. at Leyden, though, according to Dr. Pulteney, he is said, by some, only to have assumed the title of doctor after his successful attendance on the king of Sweden. On his return to Scotland, failing to procure practice as a physician, he proceeded to London, where, after having acted for some time in the capacity of corrector at a printing office, he commenced printer himself. In 1734, he became bankrupt, and was thrown into prison, where he remained, until his wife had earned sufficient to procure his release, by the painting of plants, an art in which she was patronised by Sir Haus Sloane and Dr. Mead. After having made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain the situation of secretary to the Society for the Encouragement of Learning, he became superintendent of the works belonging to the Duke of Chandos, at Canons. In 1740, he went to Sweden, where he obtained an allowance for superintending the execution of a mode of draining the marshes, originated by himself; and

also practised his profession with much success, until apprehended on a charge of being concerned in a plot against the government, for his alleged share in which, notwithstanding his protestations of innocence, he was beheaded, on the 9th of August, 1748. He is described as having been a man of great classical attainments, and good abilities, but somewhat flighty, and a little conceited. According to Pulteney, he wrote a treatise on agriculture, and took some part in a curious herbal, containing cuts of five hundred plants used in medicine, published by his wife, in 1739.

LEVETT, (ROBERT.) a native of Hull, became, early in life, a waiter at a coffee-house in Paris, where, by the assistance of some surgeons who had formed a favourable opinion of his abilities, he was enabled to pursue the study of medicine. It is uncertain how he passed the middle part of his life, but about the year 1750, he took up his abode with Dr. Johnson, to whom, however, he was indebted for nothing more than house-room, his share in a penny loaf at breakfast, and now and then a dinner on a Sunday. Although his medical knowledge is stated to have been by no means inconsiderable, his patients consisted chiefly of the lower class of tradesmen, many of whom rewarded him with meat and strong liquors, instead of money. Johnson observes, that had they all maliciously combined to do so, he would have burst, like the dragon in the Apocrypha, through repletion; or have been scorched up, like Portia, by swallowing fire. He unfortunately married a woman of bad character, who, subsequently to their union, was tried at the Old Bailey, for theft, but, much to his disappointment, acquitted. On this occasion, he said of the barrister by whom she had been defended, "I always considered that man my friend; but this behaviour of his has proved the contrary." His power of perception was quick, and his memory retentive; his figure middle-sized and meagre; and his countenance "swarthy, adust, and corrugated." In an elegy on his death, which occurred in 1782, written by Dr. Johnson, he is described as having been officious, innocent, sincere, and of every friendless name the friend.

SHORT, (THOMAS,) a native of Scotland, settled early in life as a physician at Sheffield, whence, after having enjoyed an extensive practice for several years, he removed to Rotheram, where he died in November, 1772. He was the author of A Memoir on the Natural History of Mineral Waters; A Dissertation on Tea; Natural History of the Mineral Waters of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire; A General Chronological History of the Air, Weather, Seasons, Meteors, &c., for the space of Two Hundred and Fifty Years; Discourses on Tea, Sugar, Milk, made Wines, Spirits, Punch, Tobacco, &c.; New Observations, Natural, Moral, Civil, Political, and Medical, on Bills of Mortality; Comparative History of the Increase and Decrease of Mankind in England and several Countries Abroad; and some other works. though blunt, irritable and eccentric, he is said to have been generally esteemed on account of his professional abilities and moral worth.

Al

WATSON, (HENRY,) a native of London, was born in 1702, and after having served an apprenticeship to one of the company of barber-surgeons, attended with such assiduity at the hospitals in the Borough, that he was selected to fill, successively, the offices of demonstrator and teacher of anatomy at those institutions. He subsequently became surgeon to the Middlesex Hospital, to the Westminster Infirmary, and in 1761, to the Westminster Hospital. His death, which occurred in October, 1793, is said to have been accelerated by an alarm of fire in the neighbourhood of his residence, he being at that time in a very infirm state, owing to an attack of paralysis. He had been twice married, but left no issue. His productions consist of papers communicated to the Royal Society, of which he was a fellow; to the London Medical Memoirs; and to the Medical Observations and Inquiries. Among these, was an account of Dr. Maty's illness, and of the appearances, on dissection; in drawing up which, he appears to have been asssisted by Dr. Hunter; and an account, with a descriptive plate, of absorbents in the urinary bladder; which, however, were afterwards discovered to be veins, connected with the corpus spongiosum

even superior to that of Cullen, on the same subject; but the English medical critics do not go to the extent of this eulogy, on account of his practice having been too much influenced by the ancient humoral pathology. He gave but few prescriptions in his works; being, it is said, of opinion with Hippocrates, that a physician who knows a disease, cannot be at a loss for the form of his remedy. One of his prescriptions, popularly termed Huxham's tincture of bark, has been admitted to the London Pharmacopoeia, and an antimonial wine was formerly sold under the authority of his name.

To

WALL, (JOHN,) a native of Worcestershire, was born in 1708, and in 1726, was elected from the grammar school, at Worcester, to a scholarship at Merton College, Oxford, of which, in 1735, he became a fellow. Shortly after, having graduated in physic, he commenced practice at Worcester, and signalised himself by discovering the medicinal qualities of the Malvern waters, of which he published an account. his experiments on the clay found near Worcester, is also attributed its extensive use in the manufacture of porcelain. He designed the frontispieces to the first edition of Hervey's Meditations, and presented a good picture, executed by himself, to Öriel College, Oxford; but the talent displayed in these productions, by no means justifies the assertion of one of his admirers, that if he had not been one of the best physicians, he would have been the best painter of his age. He proceeded to the degree of M. D. in 1759, and died at Bath, whither he had gone for the benefit of his health, on the 27th of June, 1776. His son, Dr. Martin Wall, published a collection of his medical tracts at Oxford, in 1780.

BROWNE, (Sir WILLIAM,) the son of a physician, was born in 1692; and, after having taken his degree of M. D. at the University of Cambridge, settled at Lynn, in Norfolk, where he obtained a very extensive practice. About the year 1750, he removed to the metropolis; and, some time after, received the honour of knighthood. He also became president of the Royal College of Physicians; and, in that capacity,

rendered himself so conspicuous by his zealous opposition to the claims of the licentiates, that he was personated on the stage by Foote, in a piece called The Devil upon Two Sticks; but his good-humour was so imperturbable, that, after having witnessed the performance, he wrote a complimentary letter to Foote, on the accuracy of the resemblance, and furnished the actor with his own muff, in order that the apparent identity might be more perfect. He was so invulnerable to satire, that, while living at Lynn, he nailed a pamphlet, ridiculing his eccentricities, on the door of his house, where all who passed might read it. When eighty years old, he went to Batson's, in Cornhill, dressed in his richest suit, to shew himself to the lord mayor; and, on being told how well he looked, attributed his good health to his having neither wife nor debts. He had been married, but survived his lady; and died, leaving one daughter, on the 10th of March, 1774. He was the author of Translations, or Imitations of certain Odes of Horace; An Harveian Oration; A Vindication of the Royal College of Physicians; and a great number of lively pieces, in prose and verse, which he collected and published, under the title of Opuscula Varia. He founded a scholarship at Peterhouse, where he was educated; and, by his will, he directed three gold medals, value five guineas each, to be given yearly for a Greek ode, in imitation of Sappho; a Latin ode, in imitation of Horace; and the best Greek and Latin epigrams, the production, respectively, of under-graduates of Cambridge.

WINTRINGHAM, (Sir CLIFTON,) the son of a physician at York, was born in 1710, and received his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took his first medical degree in 1734, and, shortly after, settled in London. In 1742, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society; and, in 1749, proceeded to the degree of M. D. About the same period he was appointed chief physician to the Duke of Cumberland; in 1759, physician-general to the forces; and, in 1762, chief physician to the king, by whom he was then knighted, and, in 1744, created a baronet. He also became a fellow of the Royal College of Physi

cians at London, and of that at Paris. His death took place at his house at Hammersmith, on the 9th of January, 1794. His publications consist of An Experimental Inquiry concerning some parts of the Animal Structure, of which a second edition appeared in 1777; An Inquiry into the Exility of the Vessels of the Human Body, and, De Morbis quibusdam Commentarii, &c., of which a German translation soon after appeared. He also published the works of his father, in two volumes, and an edition, with annotations, of Mead's Monita et Præcepta medica. With the best classical authors he appears to have been profoundly acquainted; and he is said to have possessed a pure taste, great medical skill, and a most admirable disposition.

BRACKEN, (HENRY,) a native of Lancaster, after having received the rudiments of an ordinary education, was apprenticed to Dr. Worthington, of Wigan, under whom he evinced very superior abilities. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, he entered himself a pupil at St. Thomas's Hospital, in London, whence he removed to Paris, and subsequently to Leyden, where he studied under Boerhaave, and took his degree of M. D. On his return to England he commenced practice at Lancaster, and in a short time, his name was known all over England. About 1746, he was charged with abetting the rebels, and thrown into prison, but was discharged without trial, there appearing to have been no foundation whatever for his arrest. After having been twice made mayor of Lancaster, he died there in November, 1764. Although described as having been loyal and religious, his moral character was decidedly bad. He was addicted to drinking, and smug gling, which he called gambling with the king, and horse-racing. When remonstrated with, by his wife, on his fondness for the turf, he used to lay his cane once or twice gently across her gown skirts, and exclaim, "Nanny, Nanny, who makes the pot boil?" As a physician, he was remarkably simple in his method of practice; but condescended sometimes to prescribe by the urinal, saying, as an apology, that "ignorant people should be dealt with a good deal in their own way." He could not for

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bear prophecying to his friends, the result of his patients' cases; and, as his predictions were generally correct, he did great violence to the feelings of invalids, who often heard from report, that the doctor had said "they were sure to die." He was extremely liberal, generous, and charitable; and, notwithstanding the extent of his practice, only left behind him £1,200. He published a Treatise on Farriery, which went through several editions; the Traveller's Pocket Farrier, and a treatise on the true seat of the Glanders in Horses. He also wrote several tracts on Midwifery, the Small Pox, the Diseases of the Eye, and the Stone; many of which appeared in the magazines and newspapers, and some, probably, in the memoirs of the London Medical Society; on the establishment of which, Dr. Fothergill wrote to request his assistance. "It will be always a pleasure," writes that celebrated physician to the subject of our memoir, "to hear from Dr. Bracken; for whose abilities I have long had a great esteem, and who has laboured more successfully for the improvement of medicine, than most of his contemporaries."

MANNINGHAM, (Sir RICHARD,) was born some time near the commencement of the eighteenth century, and rose to great reputation as a medical writer, and practitioner in the obstetric art. He was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, and of the Royal Society, and acted as physician to George the First and his successor, one of whom created him a baronet. His death took place between 1660 and 1670. He was the author of Artis Obstetricaria Compendium, &c.; An Abstract of Midwifery; The Symptoms, Nature, Causes, and Cure of the Febricula, commonly called the Nervous and Hysterical Fever, which went through two editions, and some minor works.

TEMPLEMAN, (PETER,) was born on the 17th of March, 1711. He received the rudiments of education at the Charter House, and completed it at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B. A. with distinguished reputation. His first inclination was to the study of divinity, which he afterwards renounced for that of physic;