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of his apprenticeship, in 1784, Mr. Crichton came to London to 

 prosecute his studies, more especially anatomy, and the following 

 spring he went to Leyden, in company with Mr. Robert Jackson, 

 who became afterwards so favourably known by his writings on 

 subjects connected with military surgery. Though Mr. Crichton 

 had been brought up with the view of prosecuting surgery as his 

 profession, he thought it advisable to submit himself to the neces- 

 sary examinations before the Professors of Leyden for the degree of 

 M.D., which he obtained in July 1785. 



After passing a short time in Holland, he proceeded to Paris to 

 perfect himself in the French language, and to avail himself of the 

 facilities afforded in that city for advancement in every department 

 of medical knowledge. 



Leaving Paris in the summer of 1 786, Dr. Crichton studied suc- 

 cessively at Stuttgardt, Vienna, and Halle, residing, during his stay 

 at the last-named University, in the house of Professor Meckel, the 

 second celebrated anatomist of that name. He then passed some 

 time in Berlin and in Gottingen, where he remained till September 

 1788. Returning from Germany, where he had spent three years 

 in the acquisition of medical and scientific knowledge, Dr. Crichton 

 established himself in London as a surgeon, and became a member 

 of the Corporation of Surgeons in May 1789. But not liking the 

 operative part of the surgical profession, he withdrew from that 

 body on May 1, 1791, and became a licentiate of the Royal College 

 of Physicians on the 25th of June, 1791 ; shortly after which he 

 was appointed Physician to a large Dispensary in Featherstone 

 Build ngs, Holborn. There, in conjunction with Dr. Bradley, he 

 formed a " Clinical Institution," upon a plan similar to that followed 

 at the University of Gottingen, and delivered Lectures upon the 

 most remarkable and instructive cases which presented themselves. 

 About 1796 Dr. Crichton was elected Physician to the West- 

 minster Hospital, and during his connexion with that institution he 

 was in the practice of delivering three courses of lectures ; viz. on 

 Chemistry, on Materia Medica, and on the Practice of Physic. In 

 1 798 he published his work on Mental Derangement, which gained 

 him reputation at home and abroad ; and having now attained a 

 high professional position, he was appointed Physician to the Duke 

 of Cambridge. In 1803 Dr. Crichton was invited to become physician 



