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John Bostock, Jr. FRS (baptised 29 June 1773, died 6 August 1846) was an English physician, scientist and geologist from Liverpool.


Life

Bostock was a son of Dr. John Bostock, Sr. He spent some time at
New College at Hackney The New College at Hackney (more ambiguously known as Hackney College) was a dissenting academy set up in Hackney in April 1786 by the social and political reformer Richard Price and others; Hackney at that time was a village on the outskirts of ...
where he attended
Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted ...
's lectures on chemistry and natural philosophy, before graduating in Medicine at the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...
and practising medicine in
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
. He moved to London in 1817 where he concentrated on general science. In 1819, Bostock was first to accurately describe
hay fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
as a disease that affected the upper respiratory tract. He lectured on chemistry at
Guy's Hospital Guy's Hospital is an NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in central London. It is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and one of the institutions that comprise the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. ...
and was
President of the Geological Society of London This is a list of the presidents of the Geological Society of London. List of presidents * 1807–1813 George Bellas Greenough * 1813–1815 Henry Grey Bennet * 1815–1816 William Blake * 1816–1818 John MacCulloch * 1818–1820 George Bell ...
in 1826 when that body was granted a Royal Charter and Vice President of the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1832. Bostock died of
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...
in 1846; He is buried in the
Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...
, London.


Works

Bostock was one of the first chemical pathologists. He was the first to realise the relationship between the diminution of
urea Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid. Urea serves an important ...
in urine as it rose in the blood, while the
albumin Albumin is a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. All the proteins of the albumin family are water- soluble, moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experience heat denaturation. Album ...
in the blood fell as that in the urine increased. His most noted book, ''System of Physiology'', appeared in 1824. His only geological work was ''On the Purification of Thames Water'' which appeared in 1826. He also collaborated with
Henry Thomas Riley Henry Thomas Riley (June 1816 – 14 April 1878) was an English translator, lexicographer, and antiquary. Life Born in June 1816, he was only son of Henry Riley of Southwark, an ironmonger. He was educated at Chatham House, Ramsgate, and at Char ...
on a translation and annotation of
Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...
's '' Natural History'', which was published posthumously.


Family

He married Anne Yates and they had a daughter named Elizabeth Anne Bostock in 1817. She devoted her life to improving the supply of women's education. His wife outlived him and died in 1863.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bostock, John 1773 births 1846 deaths 19th-century English medical doctors English geologists Fellows of the Royal Society Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Deaths from cholera Presidents of the Geological Society of London Scientists from Liverpool English scientists Committee members of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge