10 CHAPTER 27. 
Eddie wood 'y a gentleman of fmall eftatc in 
the weft of Scotland, and allied to the noble 
family of Hamilton, who, after having ftu- 
died phyfic, and travelled with feveral gen- 
tlemen, declined the pradice of his profef- 
fion, and retired to his patrimony. His fon 
Charles was born in the year 168 3 5 and, at 
the time of his father's death, was at Glaf" 
gow, applying with great affiduity to his 
ftudies. On this event, the Duchefs of Ha- 
fnilton took him under her patronage, and 
wiihed him to have chofen the department 
of the law; but his inclination for botany, 
and the ftudy of phyfic, fuperfeded all other 
fchemes; and, from the year 1716, he en-» 
tirely devoted himfelf to phyfic^ 
At the age of thirty- three, he went over 
to LeydeUy to ftudy under Boerhaave, 
where he remained near three years. At 
that place, he contracted an intimacy with 
the late celebrated Dr. Alexander Monro ^ 
and, with him, on their return to Edm-r 
hurghy prcjefted the revival of medical lec- 
tures y where, but little had been done in 
that department, fmce the firft eftablifh-. 
meat of the medical profeflbrfhips in 1665, 
under 
