William Musgrave (1655–1721) was a British physician and antiquary.

Life

He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, where he was a fellow from 1677 to 1692. In 1680 he spent a brief period at the

University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city of L ...

. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1684, for his work in natural philosophy and medicine. During 1685 he acted as secretary to the society and edited the Philosophical Transactions nos. 167 to 178. He was a member of the Philosophical Society of Oxford, where he practised medicine and was awarded an M.D. on 6 July 1689. In 1692 he was elected to the Royal College of Physicians in London. He later settled in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

, where he practised until his death.Biographical sketch
from the Catalogue of the Early Letters of the Royal Society.Alick Cameron, ‘Musgrave, William (1655–1721)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004 His writings on medical matters included

lacteals A lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine. Triglycerides are emulsified by bile and hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase, resulting in a mixture of fatty acids, di- and monoglycerides. These th ...

palsy Palsy is a medical term which refers to various types of paralysisDan Agin, ''More Than Genes: What Science Can Tell Us About Toxic Chemicals, Development, and the Risk to Our Children;; (2009), p. 172. or paresis, often accompanied by weakness and ...

, and respiration. His important medical works concerned

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In some ...

and its effects. His publication ''De arthritide symptomatica'' (2nd edn, 1715) included the first scientific description of ‘ Devonshire colic’ (later referred to by John Huxham and George Baker). His other writings included ''Antiquitates Britanno-Belgicae'' a study of Roman Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset - areas previously inhabited by the

Belgae The Belgae () were a large confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul, between the English Channel, the west bank of the Rhine, and the northern bank of the river Seine, from at least the third century BC. They were discussed in depth by Ju ...

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dol ...

presented Musgrave with a diamond ring for this work.

Notes and references

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Musgrave, William 1655 births 1721 deaths People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Fellows of New College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal Society English antiquarians 17th-century English medical doctors Leiden University alumni English magazine editors English medical writers