Henry Pemberton

Education

There he studied medicine under Herman Boerhaave, and read mathematical authors. He returned to London to attend Saint Thomas"s Hospital, but went back to Leyden in 1719 as the guest of Boerhaave, and graduated Doctor of Medicine

Career

He became Gresham Professor of Physic, and edited the third edition of Principia Mathematica. Born in London, he received a general education in England, then went to Leyden University in August 1714. From Leyden he passed to Paris to study anatomy, and bought a collection of mathematical works at the sale of the library of the Abbé Jean Gallois. on 27 December of that year.

On his settling in London Pemberton did not practise much, because of delicate health.

He was, however, a writer on medical and general subjects. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society, and contributed papers to its Philosophical Transactions (vols xxxii–lxii).

Newton brought him a refutation by himself based on other principles. This was afterwards printed as a postscript to Pemberton"s paper.

Pemberton saw much of Newton in his old age.

On 24 May 1728 he was appointed Gresham professor of physic in succession to John Woodward. Foreign seven years (1739–1746) he was chiefly employed in the preparation of the fifth London Pharmacopœia for the Royal College of Physicians. He performed all the chemical and pharmaceutical experiments.

The work was published in 1746 as Translation and Improvement of the London Dispensatory, and he received from the college a gift of the copyright and a hundred guineas above the expenses incurred.

Pemberton died on 9 March 1771.

Membership

Royal Society.

Connections

friendship:

Pemberton Newton