Jesse Foot (1744 – 26 October 1826) was an English surgeon and biographer.

Life

Foot was born at Charlton, Wiltshire, in 1744. He received a medical education in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, becoming a member of the Surgeons' Company, and about 1766 went to the West Indies, where he practised for three years in the island of

Nevis Nevis ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute the Saint Kitts and Nevis, Federation of Saint Kitts ...

, returning in 1769. After this he went to St. Petersburg, where he became a practitioner of the College of St. Petersburg, as he afterwards described himself. Returning to England, Foot was appointed house-surgeon to the

Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...

, and on the conclusion of his term of office began practice in London, in Salisbury Street, Strand, later moving to

Dean Street Dean Street is a street in Soho, central London, running from Oxford Street south to Shaftesbury Avenue. It crosses Old Compton Street and is linked to Frith Street by Bateman Street. Culture The Soho Theatre presents new plays and stand-u ...

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

. He died at

Ilfracombe Ilfracombe ( ) is a seaside resort and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs. The parish stretches along the coast from the 'Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay towar ...

, North Devon, on 27 October 1826.

Works

Foot wrote a slanted ''Life'' of

John Hunter John Hunter may refer to: Politics *John Hunter (British politician) (1724–1802), British Member of Parliament for Leominster * John Hunter (Canadian politician) (1909–1993), Canadian Liberal MP for Parkdale, 1949–1957 *Sir John Hunter ( ...

. He was also the biographer of Andrew Robinson Stoney (Bowes) and his wife,

Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (24 February 1749 – 28 April 1800) was a notable member of the British aristocracy during the Georgian period in the 18th century. Referred to by some as "The Unhappy Countess", she w ...

, who were his patients; and of Arthur Murphy, a friend. He was an anti-abolitionist, in favour of the West Indian planters, and wrote a ''Defence'' of them. He attacked

William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...

and the abolition activists. Foot wrote: * ''A Critical Inquiry into the Ancient and Modern Manner of Treating Diseases of the Urethra, and an Improved Method of Cure'', London, 1774; 6th edn. 1811. * ''Observations on the New Opinions of John Hunter in his Treatise on the Venereal Disease'', in three parts, 1786–7. * ''An Essay on the Bite of a Mad Dog, with Observations on John Hunter's Treatment of the Case of Master R—— owley and also a Recital of the Successful Treatment of Two Cases'', 1788; 2nd edn. 1791. * ''A New Discovered Fact of a relative nature in the Venereal Poison'', 1790. * ''A Defence of the Planters in the West Indies, comprised in Four Arguments'', &c., 1792. * ''A Complete Treatise on the Origin, Theory, and Cure of the Lues Venerea and Obstruction in the Urethra, illustrated by a great variety of Cases, being a course of twenty-three lectures read in Dean Street, Soho, 1790 and 1791''; 1792; new edn, 1820; German translation, Leipzig, 1793–4. * ''A Plan for Preventing the Fatal Effects of the Bite of a Mad Dog, with Cases'', 1792. * ''Life of John Hunter'', 1794; 2nd edn. 1797. * ''Dialogues between a Pupil of the late John Hunter and Jesse Foot, including passages in Darwin's "Zoonomia"'', 1795. * ''Cases of the Successful Practice of the Vesicæ Lotura in the Cure of Diseased Bladders'', pt. i. 1798, pt. ii. 1803. * ''Observations principally upon the Speech of Mr. Wilberforce on his Motion in the House of Commons, 30 May 1804, for the Abolition of the Slave Trade'', 1805. * ''Important Researches upon the Existence, Nature, and Consummation of Venereal Infection in Pregnant Women, New-born Infants, and Nurses, by the late P. S. O. Mahon, contrasted with the Opinions of the late John Hunter upon the subject'', 1808. * ''The Lives of Andrew Robinson Bowes, Esq., and the Countess of Strathmore, written from thirty-three years' professional attendance, from Letters and other well-authenticated Documents'', 1810. * ''Life of Arthur Murphy, Esq.'', 1811. * ''Review of Everard Home's Observations on the Diseases of the Prostate Gland'', 1812. * ''Facts relative to the Prevention of Hydrophobia,’ in 'Medical Facts and Observations'', iii. 33. * ''Two Letters on the Necessity of a Public Inquiry into Cause of the Death of the Princess Charlotte and her Infant'', 1817. See also for minor contributions ''Index to the London Medical and Physical Journal'', vols i–xl, 1820.

Family

Jesse Foot (1780–1850), surgeon, was the nephew of the preceding. He practised for many years as a surgeon at

Clarendon, Jamaica Clarendon () is a Parishes of Jamaica, parish in Jamaica. It is located on the south of the island, roughly halfway between the island's eastern and western ends. Located in the Parishes of Jamaica#Counties of Jamaica, county of Middlesex Count ...

, returned home about 1819, and lived with his uncle in Dean Street, Soho, for two years, marrying Miss Foot (presumably his cousin) on 4 September 1819. He succeeded to his uncle's practice, and in 1826 brought out a new edition of his work on the

urethra The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which Placentalia, placental mammals Urination, urinate and Ejaculation, ejaculate. The external urethral sphincter is a striated ...

, which is described as the eighth edition. He became surgeon to the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital. He published ''Ophthalmic Memoranda'', 1838, and wrote papers in ''

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...

'' and the ''

London Medical and Surgical Journal The ''London Medical and Surgical Journal'' was a British medical journal first published as a monthly in 1828. The founding editors-in-chief were John Davies, John Epps, and Joseph Houlton. The editorial line was in favour of medical reform. It a ...

'', enumerated in Amédée Dechambre, ''Dictionnaire encyclopédique des sciences médicales''. In 1834, he published ''The Medical Pocket-book for 1835''. Foot died at Ilfracombe, aged 70, on 5 January 1850.

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Foot, Jesse 1744 births 1826 deaths 18th-century English male writers 18th-century English medical doctors 18th-century English people 18th-century surgeons English biographers English male non-fiction writers English surgeons People from Wiltshire