John Obadiah Justamond facts for kids

John Obadiah Justamond (1737–1786) was a skilled surgeon and writer from England and France. He lived in the 1700s and was known for his medical work. He also translated important books.

A Surgeon's Journey

John Justamond was a Huguenot, which means he was a French Protestant. Many Huguenots moved to other countries to escape religious persecution. He started his medical career in 1754 at the Middlesex Hospital. He was a surgical pupil there. Later, in 1770, he became a surgeon at Westminster Hospital. He was known for making improvements there. People also knew him for helping to treat and even cure some cancers. Justamond also worked as a surgeon for the 2nd Regiment of the Dragoon Guards. He was a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists.

Working at the British Museum

Justamond also had a job at the British Museum. He worked as a deputy keeper, filling in for Daniel Solander. His connection to the museum was through his wife, Elizabeth. She was the daughter of Matthew Maty, who also worked there. After Maty passed away, Justamond faced financial difficulties. He lost his museum job in 1778. Edward Whitaker Gray took his place.

His Published Works

Most of John Justamond's writings were about medicine. He wrote Notes on chirurgical cases, and observations in 1773. This book was an anonymous response to another surgeon's work. His notes on cancer treatments, including using certain substances, became part of medical knowledge. Other doctors, like Fleetwood Churchill, mentioned his remedies for specific types of cancer. In 1860, Thomas Spencer Wells noted that Justamond's ideas about cancer cures were ahead of his time.

Famous Translations

Two of Justamond's most well-known works were translations of important books:

• Philosophical and Political History of the Settlements and Trade of Europeans in the East and West Indies (1776). This was a five-volume translation from Abbé Raynal's French book.
• Private Life of Louis XV (1781). This was a four-volume translation from Mouffle d'Angerville.

The translation of Raynal's book was from its second French edition (1774). Justamond had an assistant for this big project. After this book was published, Justamond and his brother became quite successful. The book received a lot of attention. The Critical Review and Monthly Review liked Justamond's work. However, the Edinburgh Magazine and Review found it uninteresting. This book was very timely because it came out in the year of the American Revolution. Raynal's book talked about the problems the American colonists had with the British government. In 1775, a printer in Philadelphia named James Humphreys printed parts of Raynal's work. It was a pamphlet called The Sentiments of a Foreigner, on the Disputes of Great-Britain with America. A part of Justamond's translation was also published as A Philosophical and Political History of the British Settlements and Trade in North America (1779). The book spoke highly of Pennsylvania among the American colonies. It was less positive about New England and Virginia.

Other Writings

Justamond also wrote for the English Review. He also finished editing the Works of Lord Chesterfield. This project was started by Matthew Maty. Justamond commented on the style of two of Chesterfield's political speeches. He did not know that Samuel Johnson had actually written them.