Publisher's Synopsis
The distinguished clinican William Heberden is chiefly remembered for his original descriptions of many diseases (particularly angina pectoris), and for his persistent efforts to rid medicine of superstition and dangerous nostrums.;This biography draws on contemporary material to build up a rounded picture of the author's ancestor, who raised himself from inauspicious beginnings to become one of the most sought-after and respected physicians of his time. His interests encompassed the classics, religion and the natural sciences, and his wide circle of friends included Joseph Priestley, Benjamin Franklin and Dr Johnson. His humane attitude toward his patients, his acute powers of observation, and his love of good company and conversation, are among the elements in this account of his life which should appeal equally to the medical historian and the general reader.
