John Sheldon (anatomist)
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John Sheldon (6 July 1752 – 8 October 1808) was an English surgeon and anatomist.


Career

Sheldon was born in London on 6 July 1752, and was apprenticed to Henry Watson, elected in 1766 the first professor of anatomy of the Surgeons' Company. Sheldon studied and taught anatomy at Watson's private museum in
Tottenham Court Road Tottenham Court Road (occasionally abbreviated as TCR) is a major road in Central London, almost entirely within the London Borough of Camden. The road runs from Euston Road in the north to St Giles Circus in the south; Tottenham Court Road tu ...
, which was later wrecked by a mob. He received his diploma at the Surgeons' Company on 2 November 1775, and then lectured on anatomy at
Great Windmill Street school Great Windmill Street is a thoroughfare running north–south in Soho, London, crossed by Shaftesbury Avenue. The street has had a long association with music and entertainment, most notably the Windmill Theatre, and is now home to the Ripley' ...
under William Hunter. Sheldon was surgeon to the General Medical Asylum in Welbeck Street, and on 18 July 1782 he was appointed professor of anatomy to the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
in succession to Hunter. He was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
on 29 April 1784, and on 20 April 1786 he became surgeon to
Westminster Hospital Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded. In 1939 a newly built hospital and medical school opened in Horseferry Road, Westminster. In 1994 the ...
, a post he resigned two years later.


Teacher

In 1777 Sheldon opened a private theatre in Great Queen Street, where he taught anatomy, and pursued research. After the deaths of William Hewson and Magnus Falconar, he had emerged as the leading young teacher in his field. His pupils included
Thomas Beddoes Thomas Beddoes (13 April 176024 December 1808) was an English physician and scientific writer. He was born in Shifnal, Shropshire and died in Bristol fifteen years after opening his medical practice there. He was a reforming practitioner and te ...
and
Joshua Brookes Joshua Brookes (24 November 1761 – 10 January 1833) was a British anatomist and naturalist. Early life Brookes studied under William Hunter, William Hewson, Andrew Marshall, and John Sheldon, in London. He then attended the practice of A ...
. He hired
Charles Brandon Trye Charles Brandon Trye (1757–1811) was an English surgeon. Life He was elder son of John Trye, rector of Leckhampton, near Cheltenham, by his wife Mary, daughter of the Rev. John Longford of Haresfield, near Stroud, born on 21 August 1757. His ...
as assistant in his private school. When Sheldon moved away from London, his house in Great Queen Street was taken over with his teaching by
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada * James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Queb ...
.


Mental illness and last years

Sheldon's mental health broke down in 1788. He believed that he had discovered an easy method of catching whales with poisoned
harpoon A harpoon is a long, spear-like projectile used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other hunting to shoot, kill, and capture large fish or marine mammals such as seals, sea cows, and whales. It impales the target and secures it with barb or ...
s, and he made a voyage to
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
that year to test it. He was sent back on another ship, and from then on was subject to periods of bad mental health, now thought to be a
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
. Sheldon moved to
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 ...
. There he was elected surgeon to the Devon and Exeter Hospital on 25 July 1797. In Exeter Sheldon belonged to the Society of Gentlemen, founded in 1792 by
Hugh Downman Hugh Downman (c. 1765 – 4 January 1858) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of admiral. Downman spent m ...
. Other members included
Isaac D'Israeli Isaac D'Israeli (11 May 1766 – 19 January 1848) was a British writer, scholar and the father of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli. He is best known for his essays and his associations with other me ...
,
Richard Polwhele Richard Polwhele (6 January 1760 – 12 March 1838) was a Cornish clergyman, poet and historian of Cornwall and Devon. Biography Richard Polwhele's ancestors long held the manor of Treworgan, 4 3/4 miles south-east of Truro in Cornwall, w ...
, and
Bartholomew Parr Bartholomew Parr (1750 – 20 November 1810) was a British physician and medical author, known for his ''London Medical Dictionary'' published in 1809. After earning his Doctor of Medicine in 1773 at the University of Edinburgh, Parr served as Ph ...
. He contributed to its 1796 volume of essays. Sheldon died at his cottage on the
River Exe The River Exe ( ) is a river in England that source (river), rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lie ...
on 8 October 1808.


Balloonist

It is sometimes said that Sheldon was the first Englishman to make an ascent in a balloon.
Archibald Geikie Sir Archibald Geikie (28 December 1835 – November 1924) was a Scottish geologist and writer. Early life Geikie was born in Edinburgh in 1835, the eldest son of Isabella Thom and her husband James Stuart Geikie, a musician and music critic. ...
in his biography of
Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (17 May 174118 July 1819) was a French geologist, volcanologist and traveller. Life He was born at Montélimar. He was educated at the Jesuit's College at Lyon and afterwards at Grenoble where he studied law and ...
gives an account which may be garbled, and the Scot
James Tytler James Tytler (17 December 1745 – 11 January 1804) was a Scottish apothecary and the editor of the second edition of ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Tytler became the first person in Britain to fly by ascending in a hot air balloon (1784). A gro ...
has priority for British ascents, from August 1784. Sheldon made a first attempt himself, on 16 August: a tethered balloon caught fire. Vincent Lunardi made the first ascent in England, on 15 September 1784; and on 25 September Sheldon again tried with his own
Montgolfier balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries ...
from Foley House,
Portland Place Portland Place is a street in the Marylebone district of central London. Named after the 3rd Duke of Portland, the unusually wide street is home to the BBC's headquarters Broadcasting House, the Chinese and Polish embassies, the Royal Insti ...
, London. The balloon caught fire, and Sheldon with his companion Keegan were unable to get off the ground. This attempted ascent was then the subject of a caricature by
Paul Sandby Paul Sandby (1731 – 7 November 1809) was an English map-maker turned Landscape art, landscape painter in watercolours, who, along with his older brother Thomas Sandby, Thomas, became one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 17 ...
.
Jean-Pierre Blanchard Jean-Pierre rançoisBlanchard (; 4 July 1753 – 7 March 1809) was a French inventor, best known as a pioneer of gas balloon flight, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the air in a balloon. Notable for his successful hydrogen balloo ...
came to England in the autumn of that year, looking for financial backing for ballooning. Sheldon's flight with him took place on 16 October. It carried scientific instruments, but failed to ascend: Blanchard threw instruments overboard. They landed at
Sunbury-on-Thames Sunbury-on-Thames, known locally as Sunbury, is a town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England, southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other su ...
, and quarrelled, with Blanchard carrying on the flight alone. With
John Jeffries John Jeffries (5 February 1744 – 16 September 1819 using Old Style Dating, 5 February 1745 – 16 September 1819 using New Style) was an American physician, scientist, and military surgeon with the British Army in Nova Scotia and New York du ...
, Sheldon then tried to have the Royal Society support more balloon ascents, but without success.


Works

Sheldon spent time in studying the
lymphatic system The lymphatic system, or lymphoid system, is an organ system in vertebrates that is part of the immune system and complementary to the circulatory system. It consists of a large network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphoid organs, lympha ...
, an area on which William Cumberland Cruikshank also was working. He devoted attention to
embalming Embalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them with embalming chemicals in modern times to forestall decomposition. This is usually done to make the deceased suitable for viewing as part of the funeral ceremony or ...
, too. Both interests came from William Hunter's inspiration, and were lifelong. Sheldon had a celebrated body of a young woman embalmed: there are differing accounts. It was that of a patient who had died of phthisis in the
Lock Hospital A lock hospital was an establishment that specialised in treating venereal disease, sexually transmitted diseases. They operated in Britain and its colonies and territories from the 18th century to the 20th. History The military had a close ...
, and he embalmed it himself; it was his mistress, he had William Hunter embalm it, and he kept it in his bedroom until his wife complained. The body was presented by his widow Rebecca (died 1820) to the
Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations ...
. Sheldon's works were: *''The History of the Absorbent System'', London, 1784; only the first part was issued, dedicated to
Sir Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James Co ...
. *''An Essay on the Fracture of the Patella or Kneepan ... with Observations on the Fracture of the Olecranon'', London, 1789; new edition London, 1819. Sheldon also edited
Johann Nathanael Lieberkühn Johann Nathanael Lieberkühn (5 September 1711, in Berlin – 7 October 1756, in Berlin) was a German physician. His middle name is sometimes misspelled ''Nathaniel''. Lieberkühn studied theology initially, and then moved to physics, in particu ...
's ''Quatuor Dissertationes'', London, 1782.


Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheldon, John 1752 births 1808 deaths English surgeons English anatomists Fellows of the Royal Society English balloonists People with bipolar disorder