Hamilton, Robert

, “a skilful physician, was born at Edinburgh, Dec. 6, 1721, and educated at the high school there. He was afterwards apprenticed to Mr. William Edmonston, a surgeon and apothecary at Leith, and after continuing in that station three years, studied* medicine at the university of Edinburgh. In 1741, he went as surgeon’s mate on board the Somerset, and for some time had the care of the military hospital at Port Mahon. In 1744, he was appointed surgeon to the Wolf sloop of war. The four following years were divided between his occupations at sea, and his attendance upon the lectures of Drs. Hunter and Smellie in London. In 1748, he went to Lynn in Norfolk, invited thither by his brother, a merchant in that town. He afterwards accepted an offer of settling at Lynn; and in 1766, having received the degree of M. D. from the university of St. Andrew’s, he succeeded to the practice of Dr. Lidderdale, who died about that time. In this situation he continued to the time of his death, which happened Nov. 9, 1793. As he was of an inquisitive and industrious turn of mind, the time that could be spared from his practice he employed in endeavouring to make improvements in his profession, and of his success several valuable monuments remain. He was a frequent, correspondent of the royal societies of London and Edinburgh. In 1791, he published a” Treatise on the Scrofula,“which has been well received. He invented a machine for reducing dislocated shoulders, and an apparatus for keepiug the ends of fractured bones together, to prevent lameness and deformity from those accidents. In 1801, was published a posthumous work, entitled” Observations on the marsh remittent fever; also on the water canker, or cancer aquaticus of Van Swieten, with some remarks on the leprosy," 8vo. Prefixed to this volume is an | account of the author, from which we have extracted the preceding sketch. ¹