The new domestic medicine : or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases, by regimen and simple medicines. With an appendix, containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners. ... ; To which is now first added, memoirs of the life of Dr. Buchan : and important extracts from other works, particularly his Advice to mothers, ... / by William Buchan.

Date:: 1813

Credit: The new domestic medicine : or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases, by regimen and simple medicines. With an appendix, containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners. ... ; To which is now first added, memoirs of the life of Dr. Buchan : and important extracts from other works, particularly his Advice to mothers, ... / by William Buchan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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The disinterestedness of Dr. Buchan’s temper, after what has been observed, it would be superfluous to descant on. We can- not omit, however, mentioning it on one occasion. He was one of those in the late years of scarcity particularly consulted by Go- vernment on the means of bettering the diet of the poor, so as to unite sufficient nourishment with economy. On this subject he not only gave a number of valuable suggestions, but- published a pamphlet of instructions for this purpose, for which he received the thanks of the Board of Agriculture. His manners were too mild and philanthropic for the interior of a court, and he used to complain, that at one time, even roijal ears had been shut against him. The liberality which distinguished Dr. Buchan’s character did not forsake him in his religious principles. His parental education had bred him originally in the severe discipline of Calvin, but which his residence at the University effectually changed. Against church-establishments he always inveighed: he considered1 religion as a feeling of the heart, to the practice of which every man himself was competent. Thus he reasoned as a philosopher—he acted as a philanthropist. His exit shewed the conviction of his understand- ing on this subject; for he bore no apprehension of death when he found the approach of it, but shewed the same serenity of temper which distinguished him through life: this could not arise from the w eakness of false pride, but from the thorough impression of a firm cultivated miud. Dr. Buchan left behind him a son and a daughter: the former is bred to the profession, and a member of the London College of Physicians: he inherits the abilities of his father, and is a man of great professional information ; several productions have appeared from his pen, which do him infinite credit. His daughter is un- married, and resides with her brother, in Percy-street, Rathbome- place. Dr. Buchan’s death happened, we observed, on the 25th Febru- ary, 1805, and on the 6th of March his remains were interred with proper funeral-solemnity in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey, Hear to those of Sir R.-Jebb, whose professional sentiments and conduct differed widely from that of our author. On this occasion every respect was paid by Dr. Vincent to the memory ot a man the friend of the human race, and a liberality displayed by him which does credit to his character. The corpse was followed by none but friends, feeling in a proper manner the solemnity of the occasion, and the worth of the remains they were consigning to their last mansion. A bust and tablet have since been erected in the cloisters of the Cathedral, sacred to the memory of ttys celebrated physi- cian, from which an engraving is uow taken, and forms the frontis- piece of this work. I

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