Thomas Lawrence (1711–1783) was an English physician and biographer, who became President of the Royal College of Physicians in 1767.

Life

The second son of Captain Thomas Lawrence, R.N., by Elizabeth, daughter of Gabriel Soulden of

Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 ...

, and widow of a Colonel Piers, Lawrence was born in the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster, on 25 May 1711. He was grandson of another Dr. Thomas Lawrence (died 1714), a royal physician who was nephew of Henry Lawrence. Accompanying his father when appointed to the Irish station about 1715, he was for a time at school in Dublin. His mother died in 1724, and his father then left the navy and settled with his family at

Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...

. He attended Southampton grammar school, and in October 1727 was entered

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

as a commoner. He graduated B.A. in 1730, and M.A. in 1733. Lawrence chose medicine as profession, and moved to London, where he attended the anatomical lectures of Dr. Frank Nicholls, and the practice of

St. Thomas's Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Fo ...

. He graduated M.B. at Oxford, 1736, M.D. 1740, and succeeded Nicholls as anatomical reader in the university, but resided in London, where he also delivered anatomical lectures. Admitted a candidate of the

London College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

in 1743, Lawrence was a fellow in 1744. After filling a number of college offices he was elected president in 1767, and was annually re-elected for seven consecutive years. After 1750, finding he had competition from William Hunter, he abandoned his lectures, and concentrated on medical practice, without great success. About 1773 Lawrence's health began to fail, and he first perceived symptoms of

angina pectoris Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of obstr ...

, which continued. In 1782 he had an attack of paralysis, and in the same year moved from London to Canterbury, where he died on 6 June 1783. He was buried in St. Margaret's Church, and a tablet, with a Latin epitaph, was placed in Canterbury Cathedral.

Works

Lawrence's works were all written in Latin, and were: * ''Oratio Harvæana'', London, 1748. * ''Hydrops, disputatio medica'', London, 1756, in the form of a dialogue between

William Harvey William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions in anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, the systemic circulation and prope ...

, Sir George Ent, and Baldwin Hamey, based on the doctrines of

Georg Ernst Stahl Georg Ernst Stahl (22 October 1659 – 24 May 1734) was a German chemist, physician and philosopher. He was a supporter of vitalism, and until the late 18th century his works on phlogiston were accepted as an explanation for chemical processes.K ...

. * ''Prælectiones medicæ duodecim de calvariæ et capitis morbis'', London, 1757. * ''De Natura Musculorum prælectiones tres'', London, 1759. * ''Life of Harvey'' prefixed to the college edition of his ''Opera Omnia'', London, 1766. * ''Life of Dr. Frank Nicholls, "cum conjecturis ejusdem de natura et usu partium humani corporis similarium"'', London, 1780, privately printed.

Family

On 25 May 1744 Lawrence was married in London to Frances Chauncy (2 January 1780), daughter of Dr. Chauncy, a physician in

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gain ...

; they had six sons and three daughters. Sir Soulden Lawrence was one of the sons. Another went to the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and aroun ...

, an occasion commemorated by

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford D ...

, a personal friend and a patient, with the Latin alcaic ode, ''Ad Thomam Laurence, medicum doctissimum, cum filium peregre agentem desiderio nimis tristi prosequeretur''. Lawrence had met Johnson through Richard Bathurst.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Thomas 1711 births 1783 deaths 18th-century English medical doctors Presidents of the Royal College of Physicians English biographers