Memoir of the late William Wright, M.D. : With extracts from his correspondence, and a selection of his papers on medical and botanical subjects.

Date:: 1828

Credit: Memoir of the late William Wright, M.D. : With extracts from his correspondence, and a selection of his papers on medical and botanical subjects. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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$Secretary at War* But the opposition which lie met with from the London College of Physicians in its corporate capacity, was never allowed to disturb the harmony of private friendship. A line of distine- * Dr Wells, in his celebrated letter to Lord Kenyon, since re- published with his own Autobiography, and, with his Essays on Vi- sion and on Dew, (London, 8vo, 1818,) gives the following account of Dr Wright’s appointment:— “ Suspicions having arisen in the beginning of the present war, that the dreadful mortality of our troops in the West Indies had, in part at least, been owing to their want of proper medical aid, it ne- cessarily became an object of great national concern, that the im- mense armament which was preparing in 1795 to be sent to these countries under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, should be provided with able physicians. In this state of things, Dr Wil- liam \\ right of Edinburgh was mentioned to a person in power as being well acquainted with the diseases of the West Indies ; in consequence of which a gentleman connected with administration, authorized a common friend to make him the offer of being a phy- sician to the armament. Having signified bis willingness to accept this appointment, he was desired to remain in Edinburgh until his services should be required. ' 18 ProPer t0 8ay somewhat here concerning the fitness of Dr Wright for the situation to which he was designed. He ivas a Felloro of the College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and had for- merly served his Majesty seventeen years, chiefly in the West In- d>es. He had, besides, practised medicine in Jamaica, while uncon- nected with the army, for thirteen years, during great part of which time he was physician-general to the militia of the island. His ta- ents had not in the mean while been confined to the cultivation of t e piactical part of his profession. Having included natural his- ory among t,)e object8 of hia 8tudy> he ]ia(lj (,uring hig residence jn ;r,i1 6Xf ;ed a,m08t t,,e whole of attempts to extend °f tlmt science> mid had in consequence made many im- G$