Henry Pemberton facts for kids

Henry Pemberton (born 1694, died 1771) was a smart English doctor and writer. He became a special professor at Gresham College. He also helped publish a very important science book by Isaac Newton, called Principia Mathematica.

Early Life and Education

Henry Pemberton was born in London, England. He got his first education there. In August 1714, he went to Leyden University in the Netherlands.

At Leyden, he studied medicine with a famous teacher named Herman Boerhaave. He also spent time reading many books about mathematics. After Leyden, he traveled to Paris to learn about anatomy, which is the study of the body's structure.

He later returned to London. He attended St. Thomas's Hospital to continue his medical training. In 1719, he went back to Leyden and earned his M.D. degree.

Working with Isaac Newton

When Henry Pemberton settled in London, he didn't practice medicine much. This was because he often felt unwell. However, he became a well-known writer on medical and general topics.

He joined the Royal Society, a group for important scientists. He wrote many articles for their science magazine. One of his papers caught the attention of Isaac Newton, the famous scientist. This led to a friendship between them.

Newton trusted Pemberton a lot. He asked Pemberton to help prepare the third edition of his most famous book, Principia Mathematica. This new edition came out in 1726. Newton even wrote in the book's introduction that Pemberton was "very skilled in these matters."

In 1728, Pemberton published his own book. It was called A View of Sir I. Newton's Philosophy. This book explained Newton's ideas in a way that was easier to understand. It also included Pemberton's memories of Newton.

Gresham Professor and Other Work

On May 24, 1728, Henry Pemberton became the Gresham Professor of Physic. This was a teaching position at Gresham College. He taught about medicine and science there.

For seven years, from 1739 to 1746, he worked on a new edition of the London Pharmacopœia. This was an important book for doctors and pharmacists. It listed medicines and how to prepare them. Pemberton did many experiments for this book. The Royal College of Physicians gave him a special gift for his hard work.

Henry Pemberton passed away on March 9, 1771.

Other Writings

Besides his work on Newton's Principia and his own book about Newton, Pemberton wrote other important works.

He helped edit a book on anatomy called Myotomia Reformata in 1724. He also wrote a plan for a chemistry course in 1731. After his death, two of his lecture courses were published. One was about chemistry, and the other was about how the body works (physiology).

Some of his other writings included:

• A paper about how the eye adjusts to see things at different distances (1719).
• A letter explaining how some math problems could be solved in a simpler way (1722).
• Thoughts on poetry, written in 1738.

Images for kids

• 

  1728 copy of Pemberton's A view of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy

• 

  Title page to A view of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy

• 

  Dedication to A view of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy, to Robert Walpole

• 

  Preface to A view of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy

• 

  First page to A view of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy