Biographical Memoirs Of Medicine In Great Britain

The book "Biographical Memoirs of Medicine in Great Britain" by John Aikin is a detailed account of the lives and contributions of over fifty medical professionals in Britain from the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries. It was first published in 1780 and highlights the major figures who played a role in the medical advancements of this period. Aikin, a physician and writer, moved to Great Yarmouth in 1784 to practice medicine but faced backlash due to his political beliefs and dissenting views on the Church of England. This led to his move to London, where he had more literary freedom and produced various works, including the historically valuable "Description of the Country from Thirty to Forty Miles Round Manchester" in 1795. The book is part of the Cambridge Library Collection.

In this absorbing work of medical history, the physician and writer John Aikin (1747-1822) brings together biographical information on a selection of Britain's early medics, shedding light on the lives, works and quirks of more than fifty medical writers, surgeons and physicians between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries. Outlining the roles played by major figures in the great medical advances that marked this period, the book was first published in 1780, prior to Aikin's move to Great Yarmouth in 1784 to practise medicine. However, his political beliefs and dissenting views regarding the Church of England contributed to his unpopularity in the area, prompting his move to London and greater literary freedom. Over the years, he produced a broad range of published works, including his historically valuable Description of the Country from Thirty to Forty Miles Round Manchester (1795), which is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.