Anthony Addington

Dr. Anthony Addington (Twyford, Berkshire, England, 1713&mdash;Reading, Berkshire, 22 March 1790), father of Henry Addington, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was educated at Trinity College, Oxford, where he took the degree of M.A. on May 13, 1740, and of M.D. on January 24, 1744. He was subsequently admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians, and commenced practice in London, but was compelled by ill health to remove to the country. He then retired to Reading, Berkshire, where he derived a large income from his profession, until his death in 1790. He devoted his attention particularly to the treatment of insanity, and was one of the physicians called in to see George III when he first showed symptoms of mental aberration.

Dr. Addington was the confidential friend and adviser of Lord Chatham, and took a principal part in negotiating a coalition between that nobleman and Lord Bute. He was unsuccessful in his endeavours, and appears to have made himself enemies, by the account of the matter which he published, under the title of An authentic Account of the Part taken by the late Earl Chatham in a Transaction which passed in the beginning of the year 1778. He was the author of An Essay on the Sea Scurvy, wherein is proposed an easy method of curing that distemper at sea, and of preserving water sweet for any cruise or voyage. Reading, 1753, 8vo. In this work, he describes the disease rather from the accounts of others than from his own observation. In its treatment he recommends depletion, with the employment of seawater as a purgative, and drinks acidulated with muriatic acid. He conceives meat to be injurious, but regards biscuit as food suitable to persons affected with scurvy. He asserts that the addition of an ounce and a half of muriatic acid to a tun of water, will prevent its putrefaction, and preserve it sweet for any length of time. The book does not possess any great merit.