Harveian orator in 1746; Elect, 22nd May, 1755; Consiliarius, 1758, 1760, 1763; and President in 1764. In November, 1749, he was appointed Lumleian lecturer, and held that office for five years, when he was succeeded by Dr. Lawrence. The substance of some of these lectures he published under the title De Principiis Animalibus Exercitationes in Collegio. Reg. Medicorum Loud. habitæ. 4to. Lond. 1757. 66 Dr. Battie was physician to St. Luke's hospital, and was proprietor of a large private asylum. His practice seems to have been limited almost exclusively to insanity. In 1758 he published "A Treatise on Madness," 4to. Lond., in which, having thrown out some censures on the practice formerly pursued at Bethlem hospital, he was answered and severely animadverted on by Dr. John Monro, in a pamphlet entitled "Remarks on Dr. Battie's Treatise on Madness." This reply contained a defence of the writer's father, who had been lightly spoken of in Battie's work. In 1762 he published Aphorismi de Cognoscendis et Curandis Morbis nonnullis ad Principia Animalia accommodati;" and in the following year he was examined before the House of Commons on the state of private madhouses in this kingdom, and received in the printed report testimony highly honourable to his professional attainments. He resigned his office at St. Luke's hospital in April, 1764, and died, from the effects of a paralytic stroke, on the 13th June, 1776. The night he expired, conversing with his servant, who attended on him as nurse, he said, "Young man, you have heard, no doubt, how great are the terrors of death. This night will probably afford you some experiment; but may you learn and may you profit by the example, that a conscientious endeavour to perform his duty through life will ever close a Christian's eyes with comfort and tranquillity." He soon afterwards departed without a struggle or a groan. He was buried by his own direction at Kingston, in Surrey, "as near as possible to his wife" (a daughter of Barnham Goode, of Kingston, for several years under-master of Eton school,) "without any monument or memorial whatever." Dr. Battie, who is said by Horace Walpole in a letter to lady Ossory, to have died worth 100,000l., had during his life endowed a scholarship of 201. per annum at King's college, Cambridge, now known as Dr. Battie's foundation, and by his will gave 100l. to St. Luke's hospital, and 100l. to the Corporation for the Relief of the Widows and Children of Clergymen. Dr. Battie's character was sketched in a few words as follows by Judge Hardinge in his Latin life of his father;"Battius, faber fortunæ suæ, vir egregiæ fortitudinis et perseverantiæ, medicus perspicax, doctus, et eruditus, integritatis castissimæ, fideique in amicitiis perspectæ. The doctor, at that time one of the Censors, took a very active part against Dr. Schomberg, in the proceedings between the College and that physician; and the commencement of the lengthened and expensive litigation in which the College became involved, was apparently essentially due to him. Battie's part became generally known, and he was severely characterised in "The Battiad," a satirical poem, said to have been written by Moses Mendez, Paul Whitehead, and Dr. Schomberg: First Battus came, deep read in worldly art, Whose tongue ne'er knew the secrets of his heart; From Punch's forehead wrings the dirty bays. Eccentricity was strongly marked throughout the whole of Dr. Battie's career. Many strange and amus * N. Hardinge's Poems, p. 17. ing anecdotes concerning him are on record, but my limited space compels me to pass them over. "He was of eccentric habits, singular in his dress, sometimes appearing like a labourer, and doing strange things. Notwithstanding his peculiarities, he is to be looked upon as a man of learning, of benevolent spirit, humour, inclination to satire, and considerable skill in his profession."* CHARLES PETERS, M.D., was of Christ church, Oxford, as a member of which he proceeded A.B. 3rd December, 1713, and A. M. 15th June, 1724. Elected Radcliffe travelling fellow in July, 1725, he passed some years upon the continent, and, accumulating his degrees in physic, proceeded M.D. as a member of University college, 8th November, 1732. He was admitted a Čandidate of the College of Physicians 27th March, 1738, and a Fellow 16th April, 1739. Dr. Peters in 1733 was appointed physician extraordinary to the king, and in 1739 he succeeded Dr. Hollings as physician-general to the army. He was elected physician to St. George's hospital 28th April, 1735, and resigned his office there (probably on account of ill-health) in February, 1746. He was Censor in 1744; but indisposition obliging him to go into the country, Dr. Reeve was nominated in his place 8th April, 1745. His name disappears from the list in 1746. ANDREW LAVINGTON, M.D., was born in Exeter, and on the 3rd September, 1736, being then twenty years of age, was entered on the physic line at Leyden, where he took the degree of doctor of medicine in 1739 (D.M.I. de Ferro). He was admitted an Extra-Licentiate of the College of Physicians 1st August, 1739, and then settled at Tavistock, co. Devon, where he practised for many years with considerable success. He died there 12th October, 1782. Nichol's Literary Anecdotes and Jesse's Memoirs of Celebrated Etonians. Vol. i, p. 18, et seq. RUSSELL PLUMTRE, M.D., " of Notts," was admitted a pensioner of Queen's college, Cambridge, 12th June, 1728, and of that house he subsequently became a fellow. He proceeded M.B. 1733, M.D. 1738; was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 30th September, 1738; and a Fellow 1st October, 1739. He was appointed Regius professor of physic at Cambridge in 1741, and filled that chair for more than half a century. Dr. Plumtre died 15th October, 1793, aged eighty-four, having then been for many years father of the university, and the longest resident that had then been known. JAMES HAWLEY, M.D., was descended from a family which had been long settled in Somersetshire. He was entered first at St. Mary's hall, Oxford, as a member of which he took the degree of A.B. 23rd January, 1727; but then removing to Oriel, proceeded A. M. 30th June, 1731; M.B. 26th June, 1733; M.D. 13th December, 1737. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 22nd December, 1738; a Fellow, 22nd December, 1739; was Gulstonian lecturer in 1741; Harveian orator in 1747; Censor, 1744, 1747, 1751, 1754; Elect, 3rd December, 1751; and Consiliarius, 1756, 1759, 1764. Dr. Hawley was elected physician to the Westminster hospital in 1739, and resigned his appointment there in 1750. He died 22nd December, 1777, and was buried in a vault he had built for himself and family in the church of Leyborne, co. Kent. His monument bears the following inscription : In a vault underneath, are deposited the remains of JAMES HAWLEY, Doctor of Physick, who died at the Grange in this parish, on the 22nd day of December, 1777, in the seventy-third year of his age. And also ELIZABETH, the wife of the said JAMES, who was one of the daughters of Joseph Banks, Esq., in the forty-seventh year of her age, and was buried at Isleworth, in the county of Middlesex, MATTHEW MORLEY, M.D. On the 13th November, 1724, being then twenty-three years of age, he was entered on the physic line at Leyden, and graduated doctor of medicine there in 1728 (D.M.I. de Profluvio Muliebri, 4to.). He was created doctor of medicine at Cambridge, by royal mandate, in 1739; and was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians, 22nd December, 1738; and a Fellow, 31st March, 1740. He died at Kennington 17th March, 1785. MICHAEL CONNEL, M.D.-A doctor of medicine of Rheims of 21st September, 1724; was admitted a Licentiate of the College of Physicians 25th June, 1740. He died in 1764, and was buried in old St. Pancras churchyard. CHARLES CHAUNCEY, M.D., was a grandson of Ichabod Chauncey, an Extra-Licentiate of the College before mentioned, and the eldest son of Mr. Charles Chauncey, citizen of London, by his wife Martha, the daughter of Philip Brown, esq., of New Beckenham. Educated at one of the public city schools, he proceeded thence in 1727 to Corpus Christi college, Cambridge, as a member of which he graduated M.B. in 1734, M.D. in 1739. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 1st October, 1739, and a Fellow 30th September, 1740. He was Censor in 1746. He died s. p. 25th December, 1777, and was buried in St. Peter's church, Cornhill. Dr. Chauncey was a fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian societies. He left a very valuable library, which devolved on his brother, Nathaniel Chauncey, himself an ardent collector of books. The united libraries of the two brothers, both "very able scholars and able bibliomaniacs," was sold at auction, by Leigh and Sotheby, in April, 1790. To Dr. Chauncey the College are indebted for the fine paintings of Sir VOL. II. L |