of persons of every rank and description in life. His person was tall and erect; his countenance during youth was a model of manly beauty; and even in advanced life he was accounted remarkably handsome. But the prosperous views that all these combined advantages might reasonably open to him were not of long endurance.

prac

Ill health obliged him to give up his profession, and quit his native country. He embarked for Lisbon in the summer of 1798, where a stay of eighteen months in the mild climate of Portugal, during which period there was no recurrence of the spitting of blood with which he had been affected, emboldened him to return to England, and for a few years more resume the tice of his profession. But his health continued delicate and precarious; and in the spring of the year 1809 he fell a victim to a disease that had hitherto escaped the observation of medical men. Pitcairn, though he had acquired great practical knowledge, and had made many original observations upon the history and treatment of diseases, never published anything himself; but the peculiar and melancholy privilege was reserved for him to enlighten his profession in the very act of dying.

On the 13th of April he complained of a soreness in his throat; which, however, he thought so lightly of that he continued his professional visits during that and the two following days. In the night of the 15th his throat became worse, in consequence of which he was copiously bled at his own desire, and had a large blister applied over his throat. On the evening of the 16th Dr. Baillie called upon him accidentally, not having been apprised of his illness; and, indeed, even then observed no symptom that indicated danger. But the disease advanced in the course of that night, and a number of leeches were applied to the throat early in the morning. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon Dr. Baillie again saw him. His countenance was now sunk, his pulse feeble and unequal, his breathing laborious, and his voice nearly gone. In this lamentable state he

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wrote upon a piece of paper that he conceived his windpipe to be the principal seat of his complaint, and that this was the croup. The tonsils were punctured, some blood obtained, and a little relief appeared to have been derived from the operation. Between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, his situation seemed considerably improved, but soon afterwards a slight drowsiness At eight, the patient's breathing became suddenly more difficult, and in a few minutes he was dead. This was the first case of this peculiar affection of the throat that has been distinctly recognised and described. It was an inflammation of the larynx, or upper part of the windpipe, of so insidious a nature as hitherto to have passed unnoticed."* Dying on the 17th of April, 1809, in Craig's-court, Charing-cross, he was buried at St. Bartholomew's-the-less, in the same vault with his father, Major Pitcairn, whose remains had been brought from Bunker's-hill, and his uncle, William Pitcairn, M.D. Dr. Pitcairnt is commemorated by a mural tablet in the church of Hadham Magna, co. Herts, which bears the following brief inscription:

*The Gold-Headed Cane. 2nd ed. 8vo. Lond. 1828, p. 230. † Pitcairnus de patria bene meritus est, qui valetudinario sancti Bartholomæi plures annos singulari laude præfuit: in quo pauperes pene innumerabiles cura sublevavit, multosque discipulos, præceptis ex re natis, ad medicinam faciendam optimè instituit. Nam fuit in illo gravitas et autoritas, quanta magistrum decet; simul gratia et probitas, quibus discentium animos mire ad se allexit. Postea, relictis publicis muneribus, cum ad privata totum se converterat, inter summi ordinis ægros occupatissimus vixit, donec adversa valetudo, ut sibi caveret, monuisset. Tunc sine mora Ulyssipponem se subduxit, ubi otium perinde ac salutem reciperet. Inde ut rediit, paucos modo curare constituit, neque, ut ante, mediis negotiorum Medicinam tamen adhuc exercebat, Hluctibus si implicari sivit. crescente etiam ætate vegetior factus, cum hominem temperantem, summum medicum, tantus improviso morbus oppresserit, ut præclusis inflammatione et tumore faucibus, vix diem unum atque alterum superesset. Lugeamus, amici, sortem humanum! lugea mus socios amissos! vel potius eorum sic meminerimus, ut quoties cunque de clarissmis et beatissimis viris cogitemus, nosmetipsos ad virtutem accendere, et ad omnem fortunam paratiores præstare videamur. Oratio Harveiana habita die Octobris xviii, A.D. MDCCCIX, a Gulielmo Heberden. P. 23.

To the memory of DAVID PITCAIRN, M.D., F.R.S., S.A., who departed this life April 17th, 1809, aged fifty-nine years.

An excellent portrait of Dr. Pitcairn, by Hoppner, is in the College. It was engraved by Bragg.

FRANCIS RIOLLAY, M.D., was born in Brittany, and at a fitting age was entered at Trinity college, Dublin, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts; when, removing to Oxford, he was incorporated on that degree as a member of Hertford college; and proceeded A.M. 29th April, 1780; M.B. 23rd March, 1782; M.D. 13th July, 1785. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians, 9th August, 1784; and a Fellow, 15th August, 1785; was Gulstonian lecturer and Harveian orator in 1787; and Croonian lecturer in 1788, 1789, 1790. In 1791 he left London and settled at Margate. Dr. Riollay died, probably, in 1797. He was the author of

A Letter to Dr. Hardy on the Hints he has given concerning the Origin of Gout in his late publication on the Devonshire Colic. 8vo. Lond. 1778.

The Doctrines and Practice of Hippocrates in Surgery and Physic. 8vo. Lond. 1783.

*The portrait was bequeathed to the College by Elizabeth, the widow of Dr. David Pitcairn, and only daughter of William Almack, esq., by her will, dated 11th August, 1837 :- "I give and bequeath to the Royal College of Physicians in London the portrait of my beloved husband, Dr. David Pitcairn, painted by Hoppner; and also the portrait of Dr. William Pitcairn, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and also the portrait of Dr. Matthew Baillie, painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence. I give and bequeath to Sir Ralph Anstruther, bart., my picture of his great-grandfather, Dr. Archibald Pitcairn, painted by Sir John Medina. I give to his brother, Hamilton Lloyd Anstruther, esq., my little silver cup with the Greek motto, that was his great-grandfather's, Dr. Archibald Pitcairn." In 1844 a request was made by Sir John Campbell that the portraits above-mentioned might be allowed to remain in the possession of the relatives and legal representatives of the deceased, but the College resolved that an answer should be returned to the effect that The President and Fellows do not feel themselves entitled to alienate from the College the portraits of three of its most highly-esteemed fellows, which had been bequeathed in so kind a manner to the College.'

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A Critical Introduction to the Study of Fevers. 8vo. Lond. 1788.

WILLIAM MACKINEN FRASER, M.D., was born in the island of Antigua, and received his medical education at Edinburgh, where he graduated doctor of medicine 12th June, 1775 (D.M.I. de Sanguinis Detractione). He was admitted a Licentiate of the College of Physicians 30th September, 1785. In 1799, after practising successively at Southampton and Bath, he removed to London; and a short time before his death, which oc curred at Shornbrook, near Bedford, on the 22nd September, 1807, had been honoured with the appointment of physician extraordinary to the prince of Wales.

WILLIAM ROBERTSON, M.D.-A doctor of medicine of St. Andrew's of 24th April, 1779; was admitted a Licentiate of the College of Physicians 30th September, 1785. He died at Bath 19th January, 1837.

JOHN POTTER, M.D., was born in Oxfordshire, and educated at Edinburgh, where he graduated doctor of medicine 24th June, 1784 (D.M.I. de Sedentariæ Vitæ Malis). He was admitted a Licentiate of the College of Physicians 30th September, 1785.

SAMUEL FERRIS, M.D., was born in Wiltshire, and began the study of medicine by an apprenticeship to a surgeon-apothecary in Hertfordshire; after which he came to London, and attended the lectures of Dr. William Hunter. He completed his studies at Edinburgh, where he obtained a prize medal in 1784, for an experimental examination of the properties of milk. He took his degree of doctor of medicine 13th September, 1784 (D.M.I. de Sanguinis per Corpus Vivum circulan tis Putredine); was admitted a Licentiate of the College of Physicians 30th September, 1785, and then went to reside at Missenden in Buckinghamshire, but soon removed to London, where he remained for some He was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society

years.

in April, 1797. In the beginning of 1800 he was compelled by an increasing asthma to leave town. Returning to Buckinghamshire, he took up his residence at Beaconsfield, where he practised with great success, and was appointed a magistrate of the county. Dr. Ferris died at Exmouth, Devon, 18th September, 1831. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and the author of

A Dissertation on Milk, in which an attempt is made to ascertain its Natural Use, and explain its Effects in the Cure of Various Diseases. 8vo. Lond. 1785.

A General View of the establishment of Physic as a Science in England by the incorporation of the College of Physicians of London. 8vo. Lond. 1795.

WILLIAM LANSDALE was admitted an Extra-Licentiate of the College of Physicians 14th February, 1786. He settled in Maryland, and his name is continued on the College list until 1833.

JOHN ATKINSON was admitted an Extra-Licentiate of the College 24th February, 1786. He practised at Leicester, and died about the year 1788.

SIR WILLIAM FORDYCE, M.D., was the brother of Dr. John Fordyce before mentioned (Roll, vol. ii, p. 212), was born at Aberdeen in 1724, and educated at Marischal college. His medical knowledge was probably acquired at Edinburgh, as I see he was admitted a member of the Medical Society of that city 22nd December, 1744. He joined the army as a volunteer, and afterwards served as surgeon on the coast of France and in the wars of Germany. Upon the establishment of peace he settled as a surgeon in London, and attained to considerable business. In 1770 he was created doctor of medicine at Cambridge by royal mandate, and was admitted a Licentiate of the College of Physicians 10th April, 1786. He was knighted by George the Third in 1787, and died at his house in Brook-street, Grosvenor-square, after a long and severe illness, 4th