William Musgrave (; 1655–1721) was a British physician and antiquary.

Life

He was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

, where he was a fellow from 1677 to 1692. In 1680 he spent a brief period at the

University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange as a Protestant institution, it holds the distinction of being the oldest university in the Neth ...

. He was elected to the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1684, for his work in natural philosophy and medicine. During 1685 he acted as secretary to the society and edited the

Philosophical Transactions ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'' is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society. In its earliest days, it was a private venture of the Royal Society's secretary. It was established in 1665, making it the second journ ...

nos. 167 to 178. He was a member of the Philosophical Society of Oxford, where he practised medicine and was awarded an M.D. on 6 July 1689. In 1692 he was elected to the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...

in London. He later settled in

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, where he practised until his death.Biographical sketch
from the Catalogue of the Early Letters of the Royal Society.Alick Cameron, ‘Musgrave, William (1655–1721)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004 His writings on medical matters included lacteals,

palsy Palsy is a medical term which refers to various types of paralysisDan Agin, ''More Than Genes: What Science Can Tell Us About Toxic Chemicals, Development, and the Risk to Our Children'' (2009), p. 172. or paresis, often accompanied by weakness and ...

, and respiration. His important medical works concerned

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

and its effects. His publication ''De arthritide symptomatica'' (2nd edn, 1715) included the first scientific description of ‘ Devonshire colic’ (later referred to by John Huxham and George Baker). His other writings included ''Antiquitates Britanno-Belgicae'' a study of Roman Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset – areas previously inhabited by the

Belgae The Belgae ( , ) were a large confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul, between the English Channel, the west bank of the Rhine, and the northern bank of the river Seine, from at least the third century BC. They were discussed in depth b ...

. George I presented Musgrave with a diamond ring for this work.

Notes and references

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Musgrave, William 1655 births 1721 deaths People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Fellows of New College, Oxford Fellows of the Royal Society English antiquarians 17th-century English medical doctors Leiden University alumni English magazine editors English medical writers