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SOME ACCOUNT of the LIFE and WRITINGS of the late PROFESSOR GREGORY, M. D. F. R. S.--By JAMES JOHNSTONE, M, D. and Soc. Reg. Medic. Edinb. Socius, [From the "Memoirs of the Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchester.”]

JOHN

JOHN GREGORY, M. D. F. R. S. Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians in Edinburgh, and Profetior of Medicine in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, born at Aberdeen m 1725, was third fon of JAMES GREGORY, M. D. Profeffor of Medicine in King's Colge, Aberdeen; and of Anne daughter of the Rev. George Chalmers, Principal of King's College there. The family of Dr. Gregory is of great antiquity in Scotland, and Las for more than a century paft produced a fuccellion of Gentlemen, of the firit diftinction in the learned world. JAMES GREGO *Y, Profeffor of Mathematics, fiift at St. Andrews, and afterwards at Edinburgh, the Doctor's grandfather, was one of the moft eminent Mathematicians of the laft age, the age of Mathematics. He invented the Refecting Telescope, improved by Sir Ifaac Newton. His Optica Promota, and other Mathematical works, are ftill in high ef

teem.

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David Gregory of Oxford, another of the fary, the Doctor's coufin, published an excellent and complete Treatife of Aftronony, founded upon the principles, and explaItory of the doctrine, of Sir Ifaac Newton. Janis Gregory, M. D. the Doctor's eldeft acher, fucceeded their father as Profeffor Medicine in King's College, Aberdeen : and the Doctor, of whom we write, has left fa, who now holds the office of Profeffor of the Ioititutions of Medicine in the Univerfity of Edinburgh, made vacant by the tection of Dr. Cullen to be fole Profeffor of Practice, after his father's death. It feems to be the deftiny of this family, to enlarge fience, and instruct mankind; and we hope, willong hold this honourable diftinction. Though Dr. Gregory's father died when on was very young, his education was efully and fuccessfully conducted by able dial perfons, who were attached to 1. father and family, as well as to the duty ty owed to their pupil. In fuch a happy tuation for improvement, Dr. Gregory made • red progress in his ftudies. At Abercem, he became thoroughly acquainted with **ered languages, and with his own; here he finished his courfe of philofophy, and dis mathematical studies; for like the rest of b. ancestors, he was deeply verfed in mathematical knowledge. And in this admirabie school, where abstract science itself has alergone a figual reformation, and has learnto speak the language of common fenfe, and to adorn itself with the graces of tafte and coquence, Dr. Gregory cultivated an EUROPE. MAG.

elegant and just taste, clearnefs and beauty of expreflion, with precifion of judgment, and extensive knowledge. With the circle of fcience, he poffeffed a great fhare of common fenfe, and of the knowledge of men. This he difplays in his writings; and evidently carried into his profeflion a spirit congenial to that of the Gerrards and Beatties, gentlemen with whom he lived in the clofeft habits of friendship.

Having finished at Aberdeen his course of ftudy in languages, arts, and philofophy, in 1742 he went to Edinburgh, to profecute the ftudy of medicine.

Having attended the excellent courfes of the late Dr. Alexander Monro, the celebrated Profeffor, and father of Anatomy there -of Dr. Alfton, on the Materia Medica, and Botany-of Dr. Plummer, on Chemistry-of Dr. Sinclair, the elegant and favourite scho tar of Boerhaave, on the Inftitution of Medicine of the fagacious Rutherford, on the Practice of Medicine--he went to Leyden in 1745, and to Paris in 1746, for farther improvement.

While at Leyden, he received a spontane ous mark of the efteem in which he was held by thofe among whom, and by whom, he had been educated, in having the degree of Doctor of Phyfic conferred upon him by the Univerfity of Aberdeen; and when he returned there from Paris, he was appointed Profeffor of Philosophy in King's College. He held this profefforihip for three or four years, and during that time he gave lectures, or rather a complete courfe, according to the method of education in that univerfity, on the following important branches of knowledge. 1. Mathematics. 2. Natural and Experimertal Philofophy. 3. Ethics, and Moral Phi lofophy.

In 1754 he went to London, where he was chofen Fellow of the Royal Society, and cultivated the acquaintance, and fixed the esteem and friendship, of fome of the most diftinguished literati there. Edward Montague, Esquire, an eminent mathematician, and worthy man, maintained a firm friend. fhip for the Doctor, founded on the fimilarity of their manners and ftudies. His Lady, Mrs. Montague, and George Lord Lyttelton, were of the number of his friends; and it is not improbable but he would have continued in London, and practifed there in his prcfeffion, if the death of his brother James Gregory, M. D. and Profetior of Physic in King's College, Aberdeen, in 1756, had not occafioned his being recalled to his native university, C.

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to fill the chair of Professor of Physic, vacant by his brother's death. His occupations in phyfic now began to be active: he gave a courfe of lectures in phyfic, and practifed in his profeffion, with univerfal applause.

In 1766, on the mournful occ. fion of the death of Dr. Robert Whytt, the ingenious Profeffor of the Theory of Phyfic at Edinburgh, Dr. Gregory was called to fucceed him, as his Majefty's first Phyfician in Scotland; and about the fame time he was chofen to fill the chair of Profeffor of the Practice of Phyfic, which was juft refigned by Dr. Rutherford; the Trustees of that Univerfity being ever attentive to support the high reputation of the celebrated school of phyfic there, by drawing to it, from every quarter, phyficians of the most approved talents and qualifications in the feveral branches of medicine they are appointed to teach. Dr. Gregory gave three fucceffive courses of practical lectures. Afterwards by agreement with his ingenious colleague, Dr. Cullen, they lectured alternate feffions, on the Practice and Inftitutions of Medicine, with juft and univerfal approbation, till the time of Dr. Gregory's death.

The Doctor having attained the firft dignities of his profeffion in his native country, and the most important medical station in the univerfity, far from relaxing from that attention to the duties of his profetion which had raised him, endeavoured to merit the rank he held in it, and in the public efteem, by ftill greater exertions of labour and affiduity. It was during this time of bufinefs and occupation, that he prepared and published his practical Syllabus for the use of students, which, it it had been finished, would have proved a very useful book of practice; and likewife, thofe admired Lectures on the Duties, Office, and Studies of a Physician.

Dr. Gregory, for many years before his death, felt the approach of difeafe, and apprehended, from an hereditary and cruel gout, the premature death, which indeed too foon put a period to his life and ufefulnefs. In this anxious expectation, he had prepared that admirable proof of paternal foJicitude and fenfibility, "A Father's Legacy to his Daughters." But for fome days, and even that preceding his death, he had been as well as ufual; at midnight, he was left in good fpirits by Doctor Johnstone, late Phy. fician in Worcefter, at that time his Clinical

Clerk; yet at nine o'clock in the morning of the tenth of February 1773 he was found dead in his bed. *

Dr Gregory was tall in perfon, and remarkable for the fweetnefs of his difpofition and countenance, as well as for the eafe and openness of his manners. He was an univerfal and elegant fcholar, an experienced, learned, fagacious and humane phyfician-a profeffor, who had the happy talent of interefting his pupils, and of directing their attention to fubjects of importance, and of explaining difficulties with fimplicity and clearnefs. He entered with great warmth into the interefts and conduct of his hearers, and gave fuch as deferved it every encouragement and affiftance in his power: open, frank, focial, and undifguifed in his life and manners, fincere in his friendships, a tender hufhand and father: an unaffected, chearful, candid, benevolent man-a faithful chriftian. Dr. Gregory's unexpected death, in the height of his ufefulness, and with appearances which afforded hopes of its continuance for a much longer period, was univerfally lamented as a public, no less than a private lofs; and fcience, genius, and worth will long weep over his grave.

Dr. Gregory married in 1752, Elizabeth, daughter of William Lord Forbes: he loft this amiable lady in 1761: fhe left the Doctor three fons and three daughters, viz. James Gregory, M. D. now Profeffor of Medicine in Edinburgh-Dorothea-AnneElizabeth-William, ftudent of Baliol College, Oxford, and now in orders:-John-all now living, except Elizabeth, who died in 1771.

HIS WORKS.

I. COMPARATIVE VIEW of the State and Faculties of MAN with thofe of the ANIMAL WORLD.

This work was first read to a private literary fociety at Aberdeen, and without the moft diftant view to publication. Many hints are thrown out in it on fubjects of confequence, with lefs formality, and more free. dom, than if publication had been orginally intended. The fize of the book may have fuffered by this circumftance; but the value of the matter has probably been increafed, by a greater degree of originality, and of va riety.

The author put his name to the fecond edi tion of this work; many additions are alfo

*He too, Dr. Johnstone, junior, of Worcester, has lately fallen a much lamented mar fyr to a noble discharge of duty, in attending the pritoners ill of a fever in Worcefter jail (1733). He atti el, at an early period, to great and deferved eminence in his profeten and will be ever regretted .s a phyfician of great ability and genits, and as one of the moth pleafing and benevolent of men; prematurely fnatched from his friends and country, when be one highly agreeable and useful to them.

joined to it; and it is dedicated to George Lord Lyttelton, who always professed a high afteem for the author and his writings. This work, in fine, if the author had left no other, mauft convince every one, that, as a man of Icience, he poffeffed extenfive knowledge, exquifite taste and judgment, and great liberality of mind and thought; and that, as handfomely faid by our inftructive poet, Mr. Hayley, in quoting this engaging little volame, in his "Effay on Writing History." He united the noblest affections of the heart to great elegance of mind; and is juftly ranked amongst the most amiable of moral writers."

II. OBSERVATIONS on the DUTIES and OFFICES of a PHYSICIAN, and on the Method of PROSECUTING ENQUIRIES in PHILOSOPHY.

This work was first publifhed in 1770, by one, who heard the Profeffor deliver them in lectures; but they were acknowledged, and republished in a more correct form, by the author, in 1772.

III. The next work published by Profeffor Gregory is intitled, ELEMENTS of the PRACTICE of PHYSIC for the ule of STUBENTS, 1772, republished 1774

The Doctor intended this work as a TEXT BOOK, to be illuftrated by his lectures on the practice of phyfic; but he died before te had finished it, and before he had finished the first course of lectures which he gave on that text.

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The Doctor's death happened while he was lecturing on the Pleurify. His fon, Dr. James Gregory, finished that courfe of lectures, to the general fatisfaction of the Univerfity; and he therein gave ample proof of

las fitness for the station of Profeffor of Medicine, which he now fills with great honour

to himself, and to the University-Non deficit alter aureus.

This Gentleman published in 1774, a smal tract of his father's, entitled " A FATHER'S LEGACY TO HIS DAUGHTERS" which was written folely for their use (about eight years before the author died) with the tendereft affection, and deepest concern for their happiness. This work is a most amiable difplay of the piety and goodness of his heart, and his confummate knowledge of human nature, and of the world. It manifefts fuch folicitude for their welfare as strongly recommends the advice which he gives.

"Adieu, ye lays, that fancy's flowers

adorn,

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To the PHILOLOGICAL SOCIETY of LONDON. GENTLEMEN,

THE account you have given of the late Mr. Henderfor, in your last Magazine, and especially that part of it written, as I am informed, by Dr. Currie, of Liverpool, (whofe name appears very honourably in the Manchester Philofophical Tranfactions) has afforded general fatisfaction. It would, however, have been more compleat, had you added a lift of the characters which he performed. To fupply this deficiency, I have compiled from memory and enquiry the following catalogue, in which I have arranged the parts as near as poffible according to the order of their performance, and believe the lift to be tolerably acThose parts which he performed in London, I have marked with an afterisk.

curate.

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