Nathan Alcock facts for kids

Nathan Alcock was an English doctor who lived from 1707 to 1779. He became a very important physician (which means a medical doctor) in his time, known for teaching medicine at Oxford University.

Nathan Alcock's Early Life and Schooling

Nathan Alcock was born in September 1707 in a place called Aston, near Runcorn in England. He was the second son of David and Mary Alcock. His family had a famous ancestor, Bishop John Alcock, who started Jesus College, Cambridge.

Nathan first learned from his parents. Then he went to a local school. He didn't like his teacher, so he left that school. He made a deal with his father: if Nathan became a doctor, his father would give him a small piece of land. This land was worth about £50 a year, which was a good amount of money back then.

Nathan went to medical school at the University of Edinburgh. After that, he studied at Leiden University in the Netherlands. There, he learned from famous teachers like Boerhaave, Gaubius, Albinus, and Gravesand. He earned his M.D. degree (Doctor of Medicine) in 1737.

Nathan Alcock's Medical Career

After finishing his studies, Nathan Alcock returned to England and went to Oxford University. He found that the medical professors there were not teaching much. One professor didn't give lectures, and another didn't even live in Oxford.

So, Nathan started giving his own lectures. He taught students about anatomy (the study of the body's structure) and chemistry. Some of the official professors didn't like this. They even said his religious ideas were wrong. However, many students liked his lectures, and important people like William Blackstone supported him.

In 1741, Nathan received his M.A. degree (Master of Arts) from Oxford. He then earned his B.M. (Bachelor of Medicine) in 1744 and his M.D. in 1749. In the same year, 1749, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very special honor for scientists. In 1754, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London, which is a group for top doctors.

Nathan Alcock became a very successful doctor in Oxford. He had many patients and became quite wealthy. Later, perhaps because he wasn't feeling well, or after a sad event, he moved back to Runcorn. Even there, he built another large medical practice.

He died in Runcorn in 1779 from a stroke. He was buried in the local church.

Nathan Alcock's Writings

Nathan Alcock was a Whig in politics. This meant he supported certain ideas about government and power. In his religious views, he followed Bishop Benjamin Hoadly.

His medical paper from Leiden University was about pneumonia, a lung infection. Nathan didn't publish any books during his lifetime. However, after he passed away, his brother Thomas Alcock, who was a vicar (a type of priest) in Runcorn, edited and published some of his writings.

In 1796, Thomas published Nathan's book called The Rise of Mahomet, Accounted for on Natural and Civil Principles. Also, in 1780, Thomas Alcock wrote a book about Nathan's life called Some Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Nathan Alcock.