754 



BROCKLESBY. 



Brocklesby. on the history and treatment of various disorders, 

 ' ami with many useful hints respecting the manage- 

 ment of hospitals. 



By the death of his father, Dr Brockleshy was 

 left an estate of L.600 per annum. From his pro- 

 fession, he derived a clear income of L.1000 a year, 

 and, as he enjoyed half pay from the army, and also 

 a pension from his friend the Duke of Richmond,* he 

 was enabled not only to live in splendour, but to 

 amass a very considerable fortune. Dr Brocklesby 

 was now elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He 

 contributed several papers to the transactions of that 

 learned body ; and his leisure hours were devoted to 

 the society of his literary and political friends. By 

 his advice, a professorship of chemistry was added 

 to the establishment of the Royal Military Academy at 

 Woolwich ; and he had also the merit of recommend- 

 ing to that professorship the celebrated Dr Adair 

 Crawford. About this time, the Duke of Rich 

 mond appointed him physician-general to the royal 

 regiment of artillery and corps of engineers. The 

 infirmities of old age, however, now began to interfere 

 with the active duties of his profession, and induced 

 him to abandon his medical practice, except among his 

 particular friends. In December 1797, he went to 

 Beaconsfield, on a visit to the widow of his late friend 

 Mr Burke ; and, on the llth of that month, he re- 

 turned to dine with his two nephews, Dr Young and 

 Mr Beeby, of whose education he had taken the 

 principal charge. Though a little fatigued with the 

 journey, he talked with cheerfulness, repeated pas- 

 sages from his favourite classics, and appeared 

 in his usual health ; but, when he retired to rest 

 itbout nine o'clock in the evening, he found the la- 

 bour of ascending the stairs almost too great for 

 him, and, a few minutes after he went to bed, he 

 dropped asleep, and almost instantly expired, with- 

 out the least appearance of pain. He bequeathed his 

 books, pictures, and plate, with a handsome lega- 

 cy, to his nephew Dr Thomas Young, now foreign 

 secretary to the Royal Society of London, a philo- 

 sopher to whom science is under numerous obliga. 

 tions. With the exception of these and a few other 

 legacies, the rest of Dr Brocklesby's fortune, which 

 amounted altogether to about L. 30,000, was left 

 to his other nephew Mr Beeby. 



Though Dr Brocklesby conducted his affairs with 

 a prudent economy, equally removed from meanness 

 and profusion, yet he was distinguished by that true 

 benevolence and liberality of disposition, which is 

 ever desirous to possess the means, as well as the in- 

 clination, to do good. There is a species of gene- 

 rosity, springing no doubt from the noblest motives, 

 which wastes itself in a few unavailing efforts ; but 

 that practical benevolence which is alone worthy of 

 our praise and imitation, seems to have been possess- 

 ed, in a very high degree, by Dr Brocklesby, The 

 frugality which is dictated by selfish feelings, is one 

 of the meanest failings with which the human charac- 

 ter can be stained ; but the economy which husbands 



the resources of charity, and directs them with cau- Bracklesby, 

 tion to proper objects, is a virtue beyond all praise. 



No sooner was Dr Brocklesby informed that Dr 

 Johnson was prevented, by the narrowness of his in- 

 come, from going to the Continent for the recovery of 

 his health, than he offered him, in the most delicate 

 manner, an annuity of L.100 during the remainder of 

 his life. When the Doctor declined this offer, his gene- 

 rous friend pressed him to reside in his house, as more 

 suited to his health than that in which he then liv- 

 ed. His conduct to Edmund Burke was equally no- 

 ble and generous. Dr Brocklesby transmitted to 

 him L.1000, with the notification, that he intended 

 to leave him this sum at his death, but that he 

 thought it might be of more use to him at present. 



At one period of his litV, Dr Brocklesby was an 

 enthusiast in politics, and participated in the early 

 proceedings of the Whig Club ; but he afterwards 

 abandoned the leaders of that party, along with Mr 

 Burke and the Duke of Richmond. 



Dr Brocklesby was, at one time, induced to 

 accept a challenge, which originated in some pro- 

 fessional jealousies. The Doctor having spoken 

 openly against some improper means which he 

 supposed had been employed by Sir John Elliot, 

 in order to procure the favour of a family on 

 which they had jointly attended ; the friends of Sir 

 John incited him to send a challenge to Dr Brockles- 

 by. The parties met in the field to determine this 

 point of honour ; but they were luckily separated af- 

 ter the first fire, by a centinel on guard, -f- 



In addition to the works which we have already 

 mentioned, Dr Brocklesby published, in 1760, his 

 Oralio Harveiana, which he pronounced before the 

 Royal College of Physicians. In the Transactions 

 of the Royal Society for 1747, vol. xliv., he publish- 

 ed a letter " On the Indian Poison sent over by Don 

 Antonio de Ulloa." In the Transitions for 1747-8, 

 vol. xlv. he published a paper " On the poisonous 

 root lately found mixed among the Gentian ; and, in 

 the same work for 1755, vol. xlix., appeared, his 

 Experiments on the Sensibility and Irritability oj the 

 several parts of Animals, in the third and fourth 

 volumes of the Medical Observations, he published 

 the case of a lady labouring under diabetes; experi- 

 ments relative to the analysis of Seltzer water ; and 

 a case of an encysted tumour in the orbit of the 

 eye. Dr Brocklesby wrote also a Dissertation on 

 the Music of the Ancients, which was published in 

 1749. (P) 



BROEK, a town, or large village, in North Hol- 

 land, celebrated for the elegance and cleanness of the 

 houses and streets. The houses are built of wood, 

 and roofed with tiles. The brilliancy of the co- 

 lours with which the outside of them is painted, the 

 beautiful gardens before them, adorned with shell- 

 work and statues, and the unusual care which is ta- 

 ken by the inhabitants to keep the streets clean, ren- 

 der this village an interesting object of curiosity. 

 Little rivulets pass by the sides of the houses ; and 



* It has been stated by one of his biographers, that Dr Brocklesby received pensions from five noble families besidts 

 the Duke of Richmond's ; but, whatever ma) have l.< >.i h>s au'.hurity, the statement is not correct. 



f It is not true that they were attended by seconds, who placed them at secure distance from each other. 



