Observations on the diseases of the army / by Sir John Pringle, bart.

  • Pringle, John, Sir, 1707-1782.
Date:
1810
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the diseases of the army / by Sir John Pringle, bart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    10/466
    Leyden, at that time the most celebrated school of medicine in Europe. Dr. Boerhaave, who had brought that university into reputation, was considerably ad- vanced in years, and Mr. Pringle was unwilling, by delay to expose himself to the danger of losing the benefit of that great man's lectures. For Boerhaave he had a high and just respect; but it was not his disposi- tion and character to become the implicit and syste- matic follower of any man, however able and distin- guished. Whilst he studied at Leyden, he contracted an intimate friendship with Van Swieten, who after- wards became so famous at Vienna, both by his prac- tice and writings. Van Swieten was not only Mr. Pringle's acquaintance and fellow-student at the uni- versity, but also his physician when he happened to be seized there with a fit of sickness. Nevertheless, he did not owe his recovery to his friend's advice; for Van Swieten having refused to give him the bark, another prescribed it, and Mr. Pringle was cured. When he had gone through his proper course of studies at Leyden, he was admitted, July 20, 1730, to the doctor of physic's degree. His inaugural disserta- tion, De Marcore senile, was printed. Upon quit- ting Leyderi, Dr. Pringle settled as a physician at Edinburgh, where he gained the esteem of the magis- trates of the city, and of the professors of the college, by his abilities and good conduct: and such was his known acquaintance with ethical subjects, that, March 28, 1734, he was appointed by the magistrates and council of the city of Edinburgh to be joint-professor of pneumatics and moral philosophy with Mr. Scott, during the said Mr. Scott's life, and sole professor thereof after his decease; and, in consequence of this appointment, Dr. Pringle was admitted, on the same day, a member of the university. In discharging the