Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/176

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158 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. In his travels through Italy he had met with the letter of Bonomo, which contains an Account of the cutaneous JVorms which generate the Itch. Mead presented an analysis of Bonomo's researches to the Royal Society. He was elected a fellow, and two years afterwards, placed on the council, of which he continued a member from 1707 till his death. Sir Isaac Newton appointed him, in 1717, one of the vice-presi- dents. In 1703, Mead was chosen physician of St. Thomas's Hospital, and, about the same time, was appointed by the company of Surgeons to read the anatomical lectures in their hall, which he continued to do during six or seven years with much credit. Mead has thus the honour of forming one link in that chain of physicians who, down to the resignation of Baillie, were almost the sole teachers of anatomy in this country. The University of Oxford conferred the doc- torate on him in 1707, and in 1716 he was ad- mitted a fellow of the College of Physicians. He was one of the censors of that body in 1716, 1719, and 1724, but declined to accept the office of President, which was offered to him in 1744. George the Second, who had employed him in his family whilst Prince of Wales, appointed him his own physician, on succeeding to the throne in 1727. Mead was now fast approaching the summit of his fortune : Radcliffe took particular pleasure in promoting the interests of an indi- vidual whose character was totally opposite to his own, and towards whom, perhaps, from that very contrast, he felt an attraction. Into whatever fa- vourable situations RadcUfFe may have promoted