| Authorised form of name | Freind; John (1675 - 1728) |
| Other forms of name | Friend, John |
| Surname | Freind |
| Forenames | John |
| Dates | 1675 - 1728 |
| Nationality | British |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Hitcham, near Maidenhead, Buckinghamshire |
| Activity | Profession:
Physician, chemist
Research Field:
Chemistry, medicine
Education:
Westminster School; Christ Church, Oxford. BA (1698), MA (1701), BMed (1703), DMed (by diploma 1707)
Career:
First involvement with Royal Societycame with publication of an account of his dissection of a hydrocephalic child in 'Philosophical Transactions' (1699). Early renown based on his 'Emmenologia', a treatise on menstruation (1703). Friend of Voltaire. Lecturer on Chemistry at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (1704); Physician to the English forces in Spain accompnying the Earl of Peterborough (1705-1707); travelled to Italy, where he met Giorgio Baglivi (FRS 1698) and Giovanni Maria Lancisi (FRS 1706); Physician to the Duke of Ormonde in his campaign in Flanders (1712); practised in London (1713-death); MP for Launceston (1722-1724, 1725-1727); a Jacobite, he became involved in the plot of his friend, Francis Atterbury, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London on a charge of high treason (1723) but was released at the insistence of Richard Mead (FRS 1703) who is said to have refused to treat Sir Robert Walpole until he agreed to free Friend; Physician to George II when Prince of Wales (1724) and to Queen Caroline (1727); Governor of the Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals; died of a violent fever
Memberships:
FRCP (1716) |
| Royal Society activity | Membership:
Fellow
Election Date:
20/03/1712 |
| Relationships | Son of William Friend, Rector of Croughton; married Anne, daughter of Thomas Morice, Paymaster of the Forces in Portugal |
| Published works | 'Emmenologia' (1703); 'Praelectiones chymicae' (1709); The History of Physick' (1723); all three are incorporated in 'Opera Omnia Medica' which was donated to the Royal Society Library by Sir John Rowlinson to mark his retirement as Chair of the Library Committee in November 2005 |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Foster; Thomas; Sedgwick
Notes:
Proposed by John Keill
Freind's 'Opera Omnia Medica' contains a comprehensive background to Freind's life and times
References:
J S Rowlinson, 'John Freind: physician, chemist, Jacobite, and friend of Voltaire's' in NR 2007 vol 61 pp 109-127 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/22209566 |
| Royal Society code | NA5680 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| M/070 | Freind, John | |
| EL/F2/4 | John Freind to Hans Sloane | c 1700 |
| CLP/11i/48 | Paper, ['Prælectionum chymicarum vindiciæ, in quibus objectiones'] by John Freind | [1711] |
| IM/001559 | Freind, John | 1730 |
| CLP/22i/76a | Paper, Account of the book 'Praelectiones chymicae' by John Freind | [1708] |
| MS/390/148 | Bond of John Freind to the Treasurer of the Royal Society | 3 April 1712 |