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LI. Biographical Account of the late Dr. Pulteney. By 

 J. AiKiN, M.D. 



rVlCHARD PULTENEY, M. D. F. R. S. L. & E. was 

 born in the year 1730 at Loughborough, in Leicefterlhire. 

 His parents had thirteen children, of whom he alone arrived 

 at the age of maturity. From early youth he was of a delicate 

 habit, and fuppofed to be inclined to a cot^fumption; and it 

 was by means of rigid temperance, which heobferved during 

 his whole life, that he maintained himfelf in a tolerable ftate 

 of health. He has recorded (in Mr. Nichols's Hiftory of 

 Leicefterfhire) his obligations to his uncle, Mr. George Tom- 

 linfon, of Hathern, who polTeircd fomc property in that vil- 

 lage, and adorned an obfcure ftation with virtue and fcience. 

 " Thofe (fays Dr. Pulteney) who remember and intimately 

 knw the fubjedl of this memoir, will not, it is believed, 

 judge it otherwife than impartial, though, confclfedly, a tri- 

 bute from his neareft relative, one who reveres his memory 

 with the trueft affeiSlion, who, through the early ftage of life, 

 received from him, as from a father" the genuine ch (Slates of 

 wifdom, virtue, and religion; all of whiei^were truly exem- 

 plified in his own conduft throughout the whole of his life." 

 From this relation he imbibed his tafle for botanical (Indies; 

 and it was probably through his inftigation that he was de- 

 ftined to the medical profeflion. 



The youth's firft fituation in a profcffional capacity was 

 that of apprentice to an apothecary in Loughborough ; an 

 humble fchool, which, however, his indullry and talent 

 for obfervation were able to render inftru6livc. He pafled 

 through the ufual courfe of a country education, and then 

 complied with an invitation to fettle at Leiceftcr. That town, 

 like moft provincial capitals, was divided into two political 

 and religious parties ; and it was that of the dilfenters (to 

 which his parents belonged) whence Mr. Pulteney received 

 his fupport. His fphcre was ftill further narrowed, by the 

 limitation of pra6tifing only as an apothecary; for it was 

 thought due to the confcquence of the partv, to pofTefs a 

 furgeon of their own as a fcparatc profrflional charader, 

 which office was filled by Mr. Cogan, a man of merit and 

 agreeable manners. 



Few remarks can be ncccflary on the harddiip of placing 

 pcrfons of abilities and liberal i'cntimenls in fitualions fo un- 

 favourable to tile ac(juircmcnt of that reputation and thofe 



VoTTXil. No. 48" 'J' emoluments 



May 1802. 



