Note 1081 — PART IV. From the Reformation to the present time. (continued 7)

Dr. H. was respectable in the line of his profession, not only as a practitioner, but likewise as a writer; though he was not rewarded according to his merit. Many of his works, at his death, were left in manuscript, most of which still remain in that state; but some have been since published, in addition to those that appeared in his life time. Of his published works the following are thought the most remarkable—1. “A paper on a puncture in the bladder,” inserted in the Phil. Trans. vol. 66.—2. “A paper on the disease called the mumps,” inserted in the Edinb. Phil. Trans.—3. “A paper on the use of mercury and opium,” published in Dr. Duncan’s Medical Commentaries.—4. “A Treatise upon Scrophula,” published in London by Dilly.—5. “A Treatise on the Eau-brink-Cut,” published at Lynn, in 1793.—6. “Observations on the Marsh remittent Fever and on the Water Canker, &c.” published by Mawman, London, 1801.—7. “Letters on the cause and treatment of the Gout, in which some digressive remarks on other medical subjects are interspersed;” published by Whittingham, Lynn, and Sold by Crosby, London, 1806. Before we close this brief memoir of Dr. Hamilton we may just observe that he, as was before said of Mr. Rastrick and another person, sometimes left his profounder studies and amused himself in writing verses, of which a specimen may be seen at the beginning of his “Observations on the Marsh Remittent Fever.” In the same work, at page 89, we also learn how long it was that Dr. Hepburn practised physic in this town, and consequently at what time he settled here, which appears to have been about the spring or early part of the year 1694, whence was about 25 years of age. This had escaped the author’s observation till after the memoir of Dr. Hepburn had been printed off, otherwise he would not have represented the doctor’s settlement here as taking place at or about the commencement the last century, which is six years at least later than the time when it did take place. This is mentioned here for the purpose of correcting that mistatement, and enabling the reader to fix the true date of Dr. Hepburn’s first settlement here.—The passage referred to in Dr. Hamilton’s book reads thus,