Christopher Nugent (physician) facts for kids
Christopher Nugent (1698–1775) was a doctor from Ireland who worked in London. He was one of the people who helped start "The Club," a famous dining group that included the well-known writer Samuel Johnson.
A Doctor's Journey
Christopher Nugent was born in Ireland. After finishing his medical studies in France, he became a doctor. He first worked in the south of Ireland and then moved to Bath, England, where he became quite successful.
In early 1764, Dr. Nugent moved to London. He lived in Queen Anne Street and later in Suffolk Street. In 1765, he became a licensed doctor with the College of Physicians of London. In the same year, he was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.
Dr. Nugent passed away on October 12, 1775. Some people believe that the travel writer Thomas Nugent was his brother.
His Medical Book
In 1753, Dr. Nugent published a book in London called An Essay on the Hydrophobia. This book started by describing how he successfully treated a servant-maid in 1751. She had been bitten by a mad dog and had rabies, a very serious disease. He treated her mainly with special powders made from musk and cinnabar. The rest of the book talked about how the disease affected both the mind and body, how it was similar to hysteria, and other possible treatments.
His Family Life
Dr. Nugent married a woman named Miss Leake. They had one son and one daughter. His wife was a Presbyterian, and he was a Catholic. The famous writer and politician Edmund Burke was one of Dr. Nugent's patients around 1750. Edmund Burke later married Dr. Nugent's daughter, Jane Mary, in 1757. She had been raised as a Catholic. Burke even named his younger son Christopher, after his father-in-law.
His son, John Nugent (1737–1813), had six sons and two daughters. John Nugent spent some time living in America.
Friends and Clubs
Dr. Nugent was one of the nine original members of Dr. Samuel Johnson's famous literary club, simply called "The Club." He attended meetings regularly and was there when another famous writer, James Boswell, joined the group.
Dr. Johnson and Dr. Nugent often talked about creating an imaginary college at St. Andrews. In this imaginary college, Dr. Nugent was to be the professor of medicine. Since Dr. Nugent was Catholic, he would eat an omelette on Fridays at the club dinner, as Catholics traditionally do not eat meat on Fridays. After Dr. Nugent passed away, Dr. Johnson once sadly said, "Ah! my poor friend, I shall never eat omelette with thee again." Another doctor friend of his was Benjamin Hoadley.
