THE No. VII. PATRICK COLQUHOUN, Esq. LL.D. HE subject of this memoir passed a long and active life under the immediate inspection of the public; and, happily, we are enabled, by means of a memoir drawn up by one of his own family, to give an authentic and copious account both of himself and his writings. Mr. Colquhoun was a Scotsman by birth. He was born in the borough of Dumbarton, March 14th, 1745, O. S., a memorable period in the history of his native country, as a rebellion was then raging against the illustrious family which now occupies the throne of these realms. He was descended, both by father and mother, from the ancient family of Colquhoun, of which his relation, Sir Robert Colquhoun, a baronet of Nova Scotia, is the elder branch. The estate of Luss is still in possession of Sir James Colquhoun, descended from the heir female. Mr. Colquhoun's father was a class-fellow of the celebrated Dr. Smollett; and the son received the rudiments of his education at the same seminary. The elder Mr. C. held the office of registrar of the records of the county of Dumbarton, and died at the early age of 44. Bereaved thus of the support and assistance of a parent, young Colquhoun had not attained his 16th year, before he determined to go abroad in search of independence. He accordingly embarked for Virginia, then one of the British colonies, for the express purpose of following commercial pursuits. His residence, while there, was in the peninsula, called the Eastern-shore, comprising two counties, separated by Chesapeake Bay. Our young adventurer was accustomed to cross this piece of water twice every year, in order to be present at the general courts at the seat of government, where all the principal inhabitants were opinion, the most admirable branch of medical education at Edinburgh for an attentive student; and, in the hands of Dr. Rutherford, could not fail to be highly improved. A few years after Dr. Rutherford's admission into the university, he became still more intimately connected with the Royal Infirmary; for, on the death of Dr. Henry Cullen, in 1791, he was elected one of the physicians in ordinary to that extensive establishment. By this appointment, he had constantly under his care nearly one half of the medical patients in that hospital, to whom the duties of his office required a daily visit. To these important offices, a large portion of his time was necessarily dedicated. It is not, therefore, wonderful that, at this period, he was under the necessity of, in some degree, deserting his favourite study, chemical philosophy. But a regular and due attention, to every duty both public and private, did not prevent him from continuing to be an active member and regular attendant, not only on the Royal Society and on the Royal College of Physicians, but also on societies of a more private nature, which have been accompanied with the most happy effects at Edinburgh, both in promoting social intercourse among medical practitioners, and in improving their knowledge of the profession. The societies to which I allude, are the Esculapian, Harveian, and Gymnastic clubs, as they have been denominated. Of all these three associations he was a regular attendant. In the Gymnastic club, which, as well as the Harveian, meets only one day in the year, and which, in imitation of the Ludi Apollinares of the ancients, is intended to conjoin rural exercise with social mirth, he held at the time of his death, the distinguished rank of Gymnasiarchus Magnificus, an office in which I have had the honour of being elected his successor. At all these meetings, as well as in all his transactions in common life, he uniformly supported the character of a respectable, an honourable, and an amiable man. Soon after Dr. Rutherford's admission into the university of Edinburgh, a change took place in his domestic life, which ber, 1786, he was married to Miss Harriet Mitchelson, youngest daughter of John Mitchelson, Esq., of Middleton. By that marriage he had several children, three of whom, as well as his widow, still survive him. His only surviving son, having taken to the profession of the law, is now a respectable writer to the signet in Edinburgh. Dr. Rutherford, during the course of a pretty long life, enjoyed tolerable, but by no means uninterrupted good health. For, as early as the 10th year of his age, when it is not reasonable to suppose that luxurious living could have any influence in inducing disease, he was attacked with distinctly-marked symptoms of gout, a disease which he probably derived from inheritance. For both his father and grandfather had been subjected to it at very early periods of life. Although he had but little reason to complain of other diseases, yet this can never be said to have left him, and he afterwards suffered from it severely. With the view of combating this distressing complaint, he gave a fair trial, for the space of about two years, to the most abstemious diet, and to a total abstinence from every species of drink, stronger than pure water. But during that period, his gout became more severe than it had ever been before. And, as he found that this mode of living impaired his strength, both of mind and body, he prudently deserted it, deriving his principal relief from patience, flannel, and the attention of friends. He thought, however, that he in general passed the winter more easily, when he could conveniently dedicate a few weeks in the autumn, to relaxation from business and to the warm baths at Buxton. But, notwithstanding this, the gout still continued frequently to visit, and in all probability at last proved fatal to him; for he died suddenly, on the 15th November, 1819, in the 71st year of his age. On the day of his death, he took his breakfast, in apparently good health. He was preparing to step into his carriage, which stood at the door to carry him in his usual visits to patients, when he was attacked suddenly with pain in his stomach, to which he had often before been subjected. All he said was, O, my bowels! He fainted, without a groan, into the arms of his eldest daughter, and from that he never recovered. Thus was his useful life happily terminated, by a sudden but not an unprepared death. For although the exit of his immortal soul, from this earth, was not preceded by the ceremonials of religion; yet the whole course and tenour of his existence was a preparation for another and a better world. THE No. VII. PATRICK COLQUHOUN, Esq. LL.D. HE subject of this memoir passed a long and active life under the immediate inspection of the public; and, happily, we are enabled, by means of a memoir drawn up by one of his own family, to give an authentic and copious account both of himself and his writings. Mr. Colquhoun was a Scotsman by birth. He was born in the borough of Dumbarton, March 14th, 1745, O. S., a memorable period in the history of his native country, as a rebellion was then raging against the illustrious family which now occupies the throne of these realms. He was descended, both by father and mother, from the ancient family of Colquhoun, of which his relation, Sir Robert Colquhoun, a baronet of Nova Scotia, is the elder branch. The estate of Luss is still in possession of Sir James Colquhoun, descended from the heir female. Mr. Colquhoun's father was a class-fellow of the celebrated Dr, Smollett; and the son received the rudiments of his education at the same seminary. The elder Mr. C. held the office of registrar of the records of the county of Dumbarton, and died at the early age of 44. Bereaved thus of the support and assistance of a parent, young Colquhoun had not attained his 16th year, before he determined to go abroad in search of independence. He accordingly embarked for Virginia, then one of the British colonies, for the express purpose of following commercial pursuits. His residence, while there, was in the peninsula, called the Eastern-shore, comprising two counties, separated by Chesapeake Bay. Our young adventurer was accustomed to cross this piece of water twice every year, in order to be present at the general courts at the seat of government, where all the principal inhabitants were |