J

OHN GREGORY, M. D. F. R. S. Fel

low of the Royal College of Phyficians in Edinburg's, and Profetior of Medicine in the University of Edinburgh, born at Aberdeen in 1725, was third fon of JAMES GREGORY, M. D. Profeffor of Medicine in King's College, Aberdeen; and of Anne daughter of the Rev. George Chalmers, Principal of King's College there. The family of Dr. Gregory is of great antiquity in Scotland, and Las for more than a century paft produced a faccelLon of Gentlemen, of the first diftincton in the learned world. JAMES GRIGORY, Profetfor of Mathematics, first at St. Andrews, and afterwards at Edinburgh, the Doctor's grandfather, was one of the most eminent Mathematicians of the laft age, the age of Mathematics. He invented the Reflating Telefcope, improved by Sir Ifaac Newton, His Optica Promota, and other Mathematical works, are still in ligh ef

teem.

David Gregory of Oxford, another of the family, the Doctor's coufin, published an excellent and complete Treatise of Aftronomy, founded upon the principles, and explaIzory of the doctrine, of Sir Ifaac Newton. ats Gregory, M. D. the Doctor's eldeft cher, fucceeded their father as Profeffor e Medicine in King's College, Aberdeen : and the Doctor, of whom we write, has left fou, who now holds the office of Profeffor of the Loftitutions of Medicine in the Univerfry of Edimburgh, made vacant by the tection of Dr. Cullen to be fole Profeffor of Practice, after his father's death. It feems to be the deftiny of this family, to enlarge fience, and inftruct mankind; and we hope, it wil long hold this honourable diftinction. Though Dr. Gregory's father died when loan was very young, his education was refulty and fuccefsfully conducted by able and filial perfons, who were attached to 1. father and family, as well as to the duty hey owed to their pupil. In fuch a happy tation for improvement, Dr. Gregory made arpal progress in his studies. At Abertem, he became thoroughly acquainted with cred languages, and with his own; here he finished his course of philosophy, and ais mathematical studies; for like the rest of b... ancestors, he was deeply versed in mathematical knowledge. And in this admirabie school, where abstract science itself has dergone a figual reformation, and has learnto speak the language of common fenfe, And to adorn itfelf with the graces of tafte and Inquence, Dr. Gregory cultivated an EUROPE. MAG.

elegant and just taste, clearness and beauty of expreffion, with precifion of judgment, and extenfive knowledge. With the circle of science, he poffeffed a great fhare of common fenfe, and of the knowledge of men. This he displays in his writings; and evidently carried into his profeffion a fpirit congenial to that of the Gerrards and Beatties, gentlemen with whom he lived in the clofeft habits of friendship.

Having finished at Aberdeen his course of study in languages, arts, and philofophy, in 1742 he went to Edinburgh, to profecute the study of medicine.

Having attended the excellent courses of the late Dr. Alexander Monro, the celebrated Profeffor, and father of Anatomy there

of Dr. Alfton, on the Materia Medica, and Botany-of Dr. Plummer, on Chemiftryof Dr. Sinclair, the elegant and favourite scho far of Boerhaave, on the Inftitution of Medicine of the fagacious Rutherford, on the Practice of Medicine he went to Leyden in 1745, and to Paris in 1746, for farther improvement.

While at Leyden, he received a fpontane. ous mark of the esteem in which he was held by those among whom, and by whom, he had been educated, in having the degree of Doctor of Phyfic conferred upon him by the University of Aberdeen; and when hereturned there from Paris, he wasappointed Profeffor of Philofophy in King's College. He held this profefforship for three or four years, and during that time he gave lectures, or rather a complete course, according to the method of education in that univerfity, on the following important branches of knowledge. 1. Mathematics. 2. Natural and Experimertal Philofophy. 3. Ethics, and Moral Phie lofophy.

In 1754 he went to London, where he was chofen Fellow of the Royal Society, and cultivated the acquaintance, and fixed the esteem and friendship, of fome of the most diftinguished literati there. Edward Montague, Esquire, an eminent mathematician, and worthy man, maintained a firm friend. ship for the Doctor, founded on the fimilarity of their manners and studies. His Lady, Mrs. Montague, and George Lord Lyttelton, were of the number of his friends; and it is not iniprobable but he would have continued in London, and practifed there in his profeffion, if the death of his brother James Gregory, M. D. and Profetlor of Phyfic in King's College, Aberdeen, in 1756, had not occafioned his being recalled to his natiye university, c.

fu

to fill the chair of Professor of Phyfic, vacant by his brother's death. His occupations in phyfic now began to be active: he gave a course of lectures in phyfic, and practifed in his profeffion, with univerfal applaufe.

In 1766, on the mournful occ. fion of the death of Dr. Robert Whytt, the ingenious Profeffor of the Theory of Phyfic at Edin burgh, Dr. Gregory was called to fucceed him, as his Majesty's first Phyfician in Scotland; and about the fame time he was chofen to fill the chair of Profeffor of the Prac tice of Phyfic, which was just refigned by Dr. Rutherford; the Trustees of that University being ever attentive to support the high reputation of the celebrated school of phyfic there, by drawing to it, from every quarter, phyficians of the most approved talents and qualifications in the several branches of medicine they are appointed to teach. Dr. Gregory gave three fucceffive courses of practical lectures. Afterwards by agreement with his ingenious colleague, Dr. Cullen, they lectured alternate sessions, on the Practice and Institutions of Medicine, with just and univerfal approbation, till the time of Dr. Gregory's death.

The Doctor having attained the first dignities of his profeffion in his native country, and the most important medical station in the university, far from relaxing from that attention to the duties of his profetion which had raifed him, endeavoured to merit the rank he held in it, and in the public esteem, by still greater exertions of labour and affiduity. It was during this time of business and occupation, that he prepared and published his practical Syllabus for the use of students, which, it it had been finished, would have proved a very useful book of practice; and likewife, those admired Lectures on the Duties, Office, and Studies of a Physician.

Dr. Gregory, for many years before his death, felt the approach of disease, and apprehended, from an hereditary and cruel gout, the premature death, which indeed too foon put a period to his life and usefulness. In this anxious expectation, he had prepared that admirable proof of paternal folicitude and fenfibility, " A Father's Legacy to his Daughters." But for fome days, and even that preceding his death, he had been as well as afual, at midnight, he was left in good fpirits by Doctor Johnftone, late Phyfician in Worcester, at that time his Clinical

Clerk; yet at nine o'clock in the morning of the tenth of February 1773 he was found dead in his bed. *

Dr Gregory was tall in person, and remarkable for the sweetness of his difpofition and countenance, as well as for the eafe and openness of his manners. He was an univerfal and elegant scholar, an experienced, learned, fagacious and humane physician-a profeffor, who had the happy talent of interesting his pupils, and of directing their attention to fubjects of importance, and of explaining difficulties with fimplicity and clearness. He entered with great warmth into the interests and conduct of his hearers, and gave such as deserved it every encouragement and afsistance in his power: open, frank, focial, and undifguifed in his life and manners, fincere in his friendships, a tender hufhand and father: an unaffected, chearful, candid, benevolent man-a faithful chriftian. Dr. Gregory's unexpected death, in the height of his usefulness, and with appearances which afforded hopes of its continuance for a much longer period, was univerfally lamented as a public, no less than a private lofs; and science, genius, and worth will long weep over his grave.

Dr. Gregory married in 1752, Elizabeth, daughter of William Lord Forbes: he loft this amiable lady in 1761: she left the Doctor three fons and three daughters, viz. James Gregory, M. D. now Profeffor of Medicine in Edinburgh-Dorothea-AnneElizabeth-William, student of Baliol College, Oxford, and now in orders:-John-all now living, except Elizabeth, who died in 1771.

HIS WORKS.

I. COMPARATIVE VIEW of the State and Faculties of MAN with those of the ANIMAL WORLD.

This work was first read to a private literary fociety at Aberdeen, and without the most diftant view to publication. Many hints are thrown out in it on fubjects of confequence, with lefs formality, and more free. dom, than if publication had been orginally intended. The size of the book may have fuffered by this circumstance, but the value of the matter has probably been increafed, by a greater degree of originality, and of va riety.

The author put his name to the fecond ed tion of this work; many additions are alfo