John Elliot MD (1747 – 22 July 1787) was a physician and scientist in eighteenth-century

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

who was the first person to conjecture that different parts of the

retina The retina (from la, rete "net") is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which then ...

respond to particular colours of light. However, he was obsessed with Mary Boydell, nieceThe Scots Magazine 1 August 1787 of the publisher

John Boydell John Boydell (; 19 January 1720 (New Style) – 12 December 1804) was a British publisher noted for his reproductions of engravings. He helped alter the trade imbalance between Britain and France in engravings and initiated a British tradition i ...

, and in 1787 was arrested for attempting to murder her. Although acquitted of attempted murder, he starved himself to death while awaiting trial for assault in

Newgate Gaol Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey Street just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, th ...

Bibliography

*—. ''Narrative of the Life and Death of John Elliot, M.D. Containing an account of the rise progress and catastrophe of his unhappy passion for Miss Mary Boydell, a review of his writings together with an apology written by himself under the pressure of expected condemnation after his commitment for attempting to assassinate Miss Boydell.'' London, 1787. *—.
John Elliot, M.D.
. ''

The Newgate Calendar ''The Newgate Calendar'', subtitled ''The Malefactors' Bloody Register'', was a popular work of improving literature in the 18th and 19th centuries. Originally a monthly bulletin of executions, produced by the Keeper of Newgate Prison in Lo ...

'', Vol. IV, 164-168. London: Navarre Society Ltd., 1926. *Elliot, John. ''Elements of Natural Philosophy''. London, 1792. *Mollon, J.D.
The Origins of Modern Color Science
. ''The Science of Color''. London: Elsevier Ltd, 2003. . Retrieved on 29 January 2008. *Mollon, John.
John Elliot
. ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

''. Oxford University Press. 2004. Retrieved on 30 January 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliot, John English scientists 1787 deaths 1747 births