1 1 2 Presidentship of James West 1771 



during this year. One which occurs more frequently than 

 any other is that of the Dutchman John Ingenhousz, M.D., 

 who from the 2ist of March to the 28th of November dined 

 no fewer than eighteen times, and usually on the invitation 

 of Sir John Pringle, who being also a medical man, and hav- 

 ing been partly educated in Holland, would naturally befriend 

 him. After practising medicine for some years in his native 

 town of Breda, Ingenhousz came to England, where his 

 talents soon attracted notice. Sir John Pringle more especi- 

 ally helped him forward. When the Empress Maria Theresa, 

 in despair over the loss of two children from small- pox, 

 appealed to Pringle to send her an able doctor for the 

 purpose of inoculating the Imperial family, he despatched 

 Ingenhousz, who acquitted himself with success, for which 

 he received various honours. Besides being a trained 

 physician he was also a man of science, and made some 

 interesting and important discoveries in plant-life. He must 

 also have possessed some social gifts, for he became a much 

 appreciated guest at the Club. He had been elected F.R.S. 

 in 1769. Thirty years later he died in England. 



Another medical visitor this year and afterwards was 

 John Belchier, Surgeon to Guy's Hospital, who had con- 

 tributed papers to the Philosophical Transactions, and had 

 become F.R.S. as far back as 1732. That he was a man 

 of some nerve and resolution is shown in the following 

 anecdote of him, preserved in the Gentleman's Magazine for 

 1743. " One Stephen Wright who, as a patient, came to 

 Mr. Belchier, being alone with him in the room, clapt a 

 pistol to his breast, demanding money. Mr. Belchier offered 

 him two guineas which he refused ; but accepting six guineas 

 and a gold watch, as he was putting them in his pocket 

 Mr. Belchier took the opportunity to seize upon him and 

 after a struggle secured him." 



Francis Maseres, who often dined with the Club, was of 

 Huguenot descent, his family having come to England after 

 the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He took his degree at 

 Cambridge and became a barrister of the Inner Temple, 

 but subsequently moved to Canada, where he was appointed 



