Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hamilton, David (1663-1721)
HAMILTON, Sir DAVID (1663–1721), physician, a native of Scotland, entered as a medical student at Leyden on 30 Oct. 1683, and graduated M.D. of the university of Rheims (incorrectly stated ‘Paris’ by Munk) in 1686. He was admitted a licentiate of the London College of Physicians in 1688, and fellow in 1703. Elected F.R.S. in 1708, he became a leading practitioner in midwifery, and was successively physician to Queen Anne, who knighted him, and to Caroline, princess of Wales. He is said to have acquired a fortune of 80,000l., which he lost in the South Sea scheme. He died on 28 Aug. 1721. He wrote: 1. ‘An inaugural Dissertation for M.D. “De Passione Hysterica,”’ Paris, 4to, 1686. 2. ‘The Private Christian's Witness for Christianity, in opposition to the National and Erroneous Apprehensions of the Arminian, Socinian, and Deist of the Age,’ London, 8vo, 1697. 3. ‘The Inward Testimony of the Spirit of Christ to his outward Revelation,’ London, 1701, 8vo. Both these were anonymously published (see Darling, Cyclop. Bibl.) 4. ‘Tractatus Duplex: prior de Praxeos Regulis, alter de Febre Miliari,’ London, 1710, 8vo; Ulm, 1711; English translation, London, 1737.
[Munk's Coll. of Phys. ii. 13; Donald Monro's Harveian Oration, 1775; Houstoun's Memoirs of his own Lifetime, pp. 81, 82.]