Short, Thomas

, a physician of the early part of the last century, anci the author of many works relating to chemistry, meteorology, and medicine, was a native of North Britain, and settled early in life as a physician at Sheffield, and had considerable reputation and practice, both in the town and among persons of rank and fortune in the neighbourhood. In 1732 he niaivied Mary, daughter of Mr. Parkins of Mortimley, near Sheffield, by whom he had two sons and two daughters, all since dead. On the death of this wife in 1762, he retired to llotheram, where he died at an advanced age, Nov. 28, 1772, and was buried at Sheffield. Some time before his decease he requested that his corpse might not be disturbed in the bed in which he departed, until it was removed into his coffin. He had acquired some property in Pea-street, where he resided, and in other parts of Sheffield. In his person he was tall, thin, and hard-featured, affected the Scotch accent in his speech, and a bluntness and freedom in conversation that were not always agreeable. He had an utter aversion to swine’s flesh, was irritable in his temper, and impatient of contradiction. But he had undoubted abilities in his profession, was indefatigable in his pursuit after knowledge, and irreproachable in his moral conduct. Of his publications, the most valuable was his “Comparative History of the Increase and Decrease of Mankind in England, and several countries abroad, &c.” published by subscription in 1767. Among his other works are, “Memoir on the Natural History of Medicinal Waters,” 1725. “A Dissertation on Tea,” 1730. “Natural History of the Mineral Waters of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire,” 1733. “A General Chronological History of the Air, Weather, Seasons, Meteors, &c. for the space of 250 Years,” 1749. “Discourses on Tea, Sugar, Miik, made Wines, Spirits, Punch, Tobacco, &c.” 1749. “New Observations, Natural, Moral, Civil, Political, and Medical, on Bills of Mortality,” 1750. Having for several years rented the Holt spa of the Nevile family, he wrote a pamphlet on the subject, of which a | considerable part is given in Mr. Nichols’s “Leicestershire,” vol. II. ¹