Rice Charleton (1710–1789) was an English physician, medical researcher, and

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 ...

Life

Charleton was educated at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, where he took the degrees of M.A., M.B., and M.D. He settled in practice at

Bath, Somerset Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...

, was elected physician to the Bath General Hospital 2 June 1757, and then lived in Alfred Street. He belonged 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 ...

. Charleton wrote on the chemistry of

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

s, and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society on 3 November 1747. He then retired from the Society, in 1754. He resigned his post at the hospital 1 May 1781, and died in 1789.

Works

In 1750 Charleton published ''A Chemical Analysis of Bath Waters''. The book describes a series of experiments to determine the mineral constituents of the thermal springs at Bath. The chemical system of

Hermann Boerhaave Herman Boerhaave (, 31 December 1668 – 23 September 1738Underwood, E. Ashworth. "Boerhaave After Three Hundred Years." ''The British Medical Journal'' 4, no. 5634 (1968): 820–25. .) was a Dutch chemist, botanist, Christian humanist, and ph ...

was followed. He published a second tract ''An Inquiry into the Efficacy of Bath Waters in Palsies'', and reprinted it in 1774, with his first publication and ''Tract the Third, containing Cases of Patients admitted into the Hospital at Bath under the care of the late Mr. Oliver, with some additional Cases and Notes''. The volume is dedicated to

Thomas Osborne, 4th Duke of Leeds Thomas Osborne, 4th Duke of Leeds, KG, PC, DL, FRS (6 November 1713 – 23 March 1789), styled Earl of Danby from birth until 1729 and subsequently Marquess of Carmarthen until 1731, was a British peer, politician and judge. Background ...

, who was one of Charleton's patients. It contains case histories, and argues that part of the reputation of the Bath waters as a cure for

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 ...

was due to the large number of cases of paralysis from

lead poisoning Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, numbness and paresthesia, t ...

who arrived with useless limbs; and were cured by abstinence from

cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...

having lead in solution, and by frequent bathing.

Marriage

He married Mary Wright, the sister of

Sir James Wright, 1st Baronet Sir James Wright, 1st Baronet (1730 – 8 March 1804) was an English diplomat and art collector who served as the Minister Resident of Great Britain to Venice from 1766 to 1774. Background He was the son of James Wright of Warwick (d. 1754) ...

on 11 November 1759 at Walcot St. Swithin, Somerset, England.Rice Charleton and Mary Wright were married on 11 November 1759 at Walcot St. Swithin, Somerset, England. ''Rice Charleton of this Parish a Widower and Mary Wright of this Parish Spinster Married in this Chapel by Licence this eleventh Day of November in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty nine by me James Sparrow Minister This Marriage was solemnized between Us Rice Charleton Mary Wright In the Presence of Mary Wright Sen.^r Jane Wright'' Her and Sir James's sister Jane Wright married John Moore,

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Charleton, Rice 1710 births 1789 deaths 18th-century English medical doctors Fellows of the Royal Society