John Freind (physician) facts for kids
John Freind was an English doctor who lived from 1675 to 1728. He was a very smart person who studied medicine and wrote important books about the history of doctors and health. He even became a doctor for Queen Caroline!
Contents
The Life of John Freind
Early Years and Studies
John Freind was born in a place called Croughton, Northamptonshire. He was the younger brother of Robert Freind, who became a famous headmaster at Westminster School. John also went to Westminster School, where he was taught by Richard Busby.
After school, he went to Christ Church, Oxford to study. There, he learned from a person named Henry Aldrich. John then decided to study medicine. He showed he was very good at science by writing different papers. Because of his skills, he became a chemistry teacher at Oxford in 1704.
A Doctor's Journey
In 1705, John Freind joined the English army in Spain. He traveled with the troops under Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough. Later, in 1713, he returned from Flanders, where he had also been with British soldiers.
After his travels, he moved to London. He quickly became known as a very good doctor. In 1716, he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians. This was a big honor for doctors. He gave important talks there in 1717 and 1720.
In 1722, John Freind became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Launceston in Cornwall. This meant he helped make laws for the country. However, he was suspected of supporting a different royal family, so he spent about half a year in the Tower of London. After this, in 1726, he was chosen to be the doctor for Queen Caroline. He kept this important job until he passed away.
John Freind bought a large estate called Hitcham in Berkshire. He was buried there when he died. You can also find a special memorial for him in Westminster Abbey. This memorial was designed by the famous architect James Gibbs and made by the sculptor John Michael Rysbrack.
Important Books and Discoveries
Even when he was very young, John Freind worked with Peter Foulkes to create a special edition of speeches. These speeches were by famous Greek speakers named Aeschines and Demosthenes.
When he came back from Spain in 1707, he wrote a popular book about his experiences there. In 1709, he published another book called Prelectiones chimicae. He dedicated this book to the famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton.
While he was held in the Tower of London, he started thinking about his most important work. This was a book called The History of Physic. The first part of this book came out in 1725, and the second part followed in 1726. This book also included a paper by Dr. Henry Levett about how to treat smallpox.
All of John Freind's Latin writings, along with a Latin translation of his History of Physic, were put together in one complete book. This book was edited by John Wigan and published in London in 1732.
