Anthony Addington (1713 – 22 March 1790) was an English physician.

Life

Born in Twyford, Addington was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

. He went up to

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

, where he took the degree of M.A. on 13 May 1740 and of M.D. on 24 January 1744. He was subsequently admitted a fellow of the

College of Physicians A college of physicians is a national or provincial organisation concerned with the practice of medicine. {{Expand list, date=February 2011 Such institutions include: * American College of Physicians * Ceylon College of Physicians * College of Phy ...

, and went into practice in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, but was compelled by bad health to move to the country. His career gained considerable public attention when he appeared as an expert for the prosecution of

Mary Blandy Mary Blandy (1720 – 6 April 1752) was an eighteenth century English murderer. In 1751, she poisoned her father, Francis Blandy, with arsenic. She claimed that she thought the arsenic was a love potion that would make her father approve of her r ...

for the poisoning of her father Francis Blandy in 1752. He then retired to

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

in Berkshire, where he derived a large income from his profession, until his death in 1790. He devoted his attention particularly to the treatment of

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...

, and was one of the physicians called in to see

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

when he first showed symptoms of mental aberration. Addington was a confidential friend and adviser of Lord Chatham. He took part in unsuccessful negotiations of a coalition between Chatham and

Lord Bute John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, (; 25 May 1713 – 10 March 1792), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1713 and 1723, was a British nobleman who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763 under George III. He was arguabl ...

Works

Addington wrote ''An Essay on the Sea Scurvy, wherein is proposed an easy method of curing that distemper at sea, and of preserving water sweet for any cruise or voyage''. Reading, 1753. In this work, he describes the disease from accounts of others, rather than from his own observation. As treatment he recommended depletion, with the employment of

seawater Seawater, or salt water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has appr ...

as a purgative, and drinks acidulated with

muriatic acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid. It is a component of the gastric acid in the digestiv ...

. He conceives meat to be injurious, but regards biscuit as food suitable to persons affected with

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

. He asserted that the addition of an ounce and a half of muriatic acid to a tun of water, will prevent its putrefaction, and preserve it sweet for any length of time. ''An authentic Account of the Part taken by the late Earl Chatham in a Transaction which passed in the beginning of the year 1778'' is no longer attributed to Addington.

Family

Addington married in 1745, Mary, daughter of the Rev. Haviland John Hiley, headmaster of Reading grammar school.

Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, (30 May 175715 February 1844) was an English Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1804. Addington is best known for obtaining the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, an ...

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...

from 1801 to 1804, was their eldest son.

John Hiley Addington John Hiley Addington (August 1759 – 11 June 1818) was a British Tory party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies between 1787 and 1818. Background and education Addington was the second son of Anthony Addin ...

was the second son. *Anne, the eldest, married in 1770 William Goodenough M.D., who died that year. *Eleanor, the second, married James Sutton (died 1801) of Devizes. *Elizabeth married William Hoskins. *Charlotte, the youngest, married in 1788

Charles Bragge Bathurst Charles Bathurst PC (1754 – 13 August 1831), known as Charles Bragge from 1754 to 1804, was a British politician of the early 19th century. Background and education Born Charles Bragge, Bathurst was the son of Charles Bragge, of Cleve Hill ...

References

*Long, George. ''The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge''. London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1842–1844. 4 vols. *

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Addington, Anthony 1713 births 1790 deaths People from Twyford, Berkshire People from Reading, Berkshire 18th-century English medical doctors People educated at Winchester College Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Parents of prime ministers of the United Kingdom