Anthony Fothergill (physician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Fothergill
Anthony Fothergill M.D.
Born	Sedbergh, Yorkshire
Died	London
Nationality	British
Occupation	Physician

Anthony Fothergill (born around 1732, died 1813) was an important English doctor. He was known for his work helping people who seemed to have died from drowning. He also studied different types of water and wrote many medical books.

Early Life and Education

Anthony Fothergill was born in Sedbergh, Yorkshire. This was either in 1732 or 1735. He went to Sedbergh School when he was young.

After school, he decided to study medicine. He went to the University of Edinburgh to become a doctor. In October 1763, he earned his M.D. degree. He wrote a special paper called 'De Febre Intermittente' for this. He then continued his studies in Leyden and Paris.

A Doctor's Career

After finishing his studies, Dr. Fothergill moved to Northampton. He started his medical practice there. At first, it was a bit difficult, but he soon became a successful doctor. In 1774, he was chosen to be a doctor at the Northampton Infirmary.

He became a member of the College of Physicians in 1779. A year before that, in 1778, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group for scientists.

In 1780, a famous doctor named John Fothergill died. Anthony Fothergill moved to London. He hoped to take over John's patients. But things did not go well for him in London. So, in 1784, he moved to Bath. There, he became very successful and earned a lot of money. In 1792, he was also chosen to join the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1803, Dr. Fothergill stopped working as a doctor. He moved to Philadelphia in the United States. He planned to live there for the rest of his life. But in 1812, he returned to England because of the possibility of war. He passed away in London on May 11, 1813.

Dr. Fothergill was a very generous person. In his will, he left a lot of his money to charities. These charities were in London, Bath, and Philadelphia. He also set up a special prize. This prize is called the Fothergillian prize. It is given by the London Medical Society. It rewards the best essay on a medical topic. Today, this prize is given out every three years.

His Important Works

Dr. Fothergill also wanted his writings to be published. He left money for this in his will. He had many notes and papers, about twelve large books worth. He wanted his friend, Dr. Lettsom, to choose and edit them. However, Dr. Lettsom died two years later. So, his full collection of writings was never published.

Dr. Fothergill was good at chemistry. He used this skill to study mineral waters. He analyzed what was in them. But he was most famous for his work on helping people who seemed to have drowned. He researched how to bring them back to life. For his important work on this topic, he received a gold medal in 1794. This medal was from the Royal Humane Society. He also wrote many other medical books. Most of them were about health or diet. He also published many reports about different medical cases.