CHAPTER IV 

 PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



f "^HE President of the Royal Society, at the 

 beginning of the year 1778, was Sir John 

 Pringle, M.D. 



-M~ Dr. Pringle was from Roxburghshire, born 



in 1707, educated at St. Andrews, Edinburgh, and 

 Ley den. He settled in practice at Edinburgh, became 

 Professor of Moral Philosophy, and soon attained a 

 high reputation. In 1742 a new career opened for him, 

 in serving as Physician with the British Army. For three 

 years he was in attendance on the hospitals in Flanders. 

 He was present at the battle of Dettingen, and saw 

 more or less of constant military service until 1749, when 

 affairs permitted him to establish himself in London. 

 He had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 

 1745 \ read several papers which were printed in the 

 Transactions; and in 1753 became a member of the 

 Council. He was now at the top of his profession, and 

 due honours fell upon him. He was made a Baronet, and 

 appointed physician to King George III ; and in Novem- 

 ber, 1772, attained the distinction of being elected to the 

 Presidency of the Royal Society. 



After six years, during which he continuously upheld 

 the dignity and the traditions of the Society, Dr. Pringle's 

 health began to fail. He was now over seventy years of 

 age, and felt it was time to let the controlling affairs 

 pass into younger hands. At the anniversary meeting 

 of 1778, he announced that his time was come for retiring. 



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