British physician and chemist.

Practiced medicine in London. Professor of chemistry at Woolwich Military Academy. Visited Scotland (c. 1776-77), where he conducted experiments on animal heat and combustion. Published Experiments and Observations on Animal Heat, and the Inflammation of Combustible Bodies (London, 1779). Later repeated his experiments and published a revised edition (1788) acknowledging his errors. Questioned the then- current phlogiston theory. Also published a treatise on cancer (1790) and developed a new treatment for scrofula.

xxx, 381-2; DNB.