BROCKLESBY, Richard, a physician of considerable reputation, was born in Somersetshire, 11th August 1722. He was educated at Ballytore, in Ireland, studied medicine at Edinburgh, and finally graduated at Leyden in 1745. In 1751 he was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians at London, of which he afterwards became a fellow. In 1758 he was appointed physician to the army, in which capacity he served in Germany during the greater part of the Seven Years’ War, and in the course of it was chosen physician to the hospitals for British forces. The results of his observation's during this period were published in 1764, under the title of Economical and Medical Observations from 1738 to 1763, tending to the Improvement of Medical Hospitals. He had already given many proofs of his industry and his attainments by papers published in the Transactions of the Royal Society. His Dissertation on the Music of the Ancients appeared in 1749, and his Oratio IIarveiana in 1760. Shortly after this he was appointed by the duke of Richmond physician-general to the royal regiment of artillery and corps of engineers, an appointment that gave him constant access to the laboratory of Woolwich, and it was by his advice that a professorship of chemistry was added to the establishment of the college. In his latter years he withdrew altogether into private life. The circle of his friends included some of the most distinguished literary men of the age. His intimacy with Burke had commenced at school, and soon ripened into the warmest friendship. He was also warmly attached to Dr Johnson, to whom he offered an annuity of £100 during the remainder of his life to enable him to visit the Continent for the recovery of his health; and when this offer was declined, he pressed him to ...