Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Wilson, Andrew (1718-1792)
WILSON, ANDREW (1718–1792), philosophical and medical writer, born in 1718, was the only son of Gabriel Wilson (d. 11 Feb. 1750), parish minister of Maxton in Roxburghshire, by his wife, Rachel Corsan. After studying medicine at the university of Edinburgh, he graduated M.D. on 29 June 1749 with a thesis, ‘De Luce,’ Edinburgh, 1749, 4to. He was licensed to practise by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on 7 Aug. 1764, and was admitted a fellow on 6 Nov. of the same year. He exercised his profession at Newcastle and afterwards in London, where he was appointed physician to the medical asylum before 1777. Wilson was a man of some mental power, and a decided Hutchinsonian in his views. Besides medical treatises he published anonymously several philosophical works. He died in London on 4 June 1792.
He was the author of: 1. ‘The Creation the Groundwork of Revelation, and Revelation the Language of Nature, or a Brief Attempt to demonstrate that the Hebrew Language is founded upon Natural Ideas, and that the Hebrew Writings transfer them to Spiritual Objects,’ Edinburgh, 1750, 8vo. 2. ‘Human Nature surveyed by Philosophy and Revelation,’ London, 1758, 8vo. 3. ‘An Essay on the Autumnal Dysentery,’ London, 1761, 8vo; 2nd edit. 1777. 4. ‘Short Observations on the Principles and Moving Powers assumed by the present System of Philosophy,’ 1764, 8vo. 5. ‘An Explication and Vindication of the First Section of the “Short Observations,”’ London, 1764, 8vo. 6. ‘Short Remarks upon Autumnal Disorders of the Bowels,’ Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1765, 8vo. 7. ‘Reflections upon some of the Subjects in Dispute between the Author of the “Divine Legation” and a late Professor in the University of Oxford,’ London, 1766, 8vo. 8. ‘On the Moving Powers in the Circulation of the Blood,’ 1774, 8vo. There is an Italian translation of this treatise in Carlo Amoretti and Francesco Soave's ‘Opuscoli scelti sulle scienze e sulli arti,’ ii. 255–72 (Milan, 1779, 4to). 9. ‘Medical Researches, being an Enquiry into the Nature and Origin of Hysterics in the Female Constitution,’ London, 1777, 8vo. 10. ‘Aphorisms on the Constitution and Diseases of Children,’ London, 1783, 12mo. 11. ‘Bath Waters: a conjectural Idea of their Nature and Qualities, in three Letters. To which is added Putridity and Infection unjustly imputed to Fevers,’ 1788, 8vo.
[Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scoticanæ, I. ii. 557; Scots Maga, 1792 p. 310; Reuss's Reg. of Living Authors, 1770–90; Allibone's Dict. of Engl. Lit.; Orme's Biblioth. Biblica, 1824; Edinb. Medical Graduates, 1705–1866, p. 4; Hist. Sketch and Laws of the Royal Coll. of Phys. of Edinb. 1882, p. 4.]