Background
Oliphant was the second son of Charles Oliphant of, a principal clerk of the court of session and a descendant of the 3rd Lord Oliphant. His mother Barbara was a daughter of Patrick Kinloch of Alderston, Haddingtonshire.
Oliphant was the second son of Charles Oliphant of, a principal clerk of the court of session and a descendant of the 3rd Lord Oliphant. His mother Barbara was a daughter of Patrick Kinloch of Alderston, Haddingtonshire.
University of
He graduated from University with an Master of Arts
He built his career in, but moved to in 1708. He sat in the House of Commons from 1710 until his death, and was physician to the Prince of Wales (later King George II). In 1684, from Leiden in 1687, and was awarded his Doctor of Medicine at Rheims University in 1691.
Oliphant set up a medical practice off High Street in, and became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of in 1693.
In 1699 he published a treatise on vomiting during fevers, which was challenged in 1701 by Doctor George Cheyne in his New Theory of Continual Fevers. Oliphant realised that Cheyne"s criticism had been prompted by Doctor Archibald Pitcairne, a fellow physician with whom Oliphant had been friendly at the start of the 1690 but fell out with over the course of the decade.
Oliphant responded with a series of attacks on Pitcairne"s work, accusing him of plagiarism. The dispute escalated into an acrimonious exchange of pamphlets.
In 1708, Oliphant moved permanently to, blaming his decision on the Acting of Union.
He had concluded that "our remoteness from the centre of the government must certainly drain us, and carry all those that have ambulatory employments, or live by their industry, to live in England". He had no previous connection to the area and appears to have been rather uninterested its affairs, but with the Duke"s support he was re-elected 1715. Argyll also help to secure Oliphant"s appointment in 1714 as physician to George, Prince of Wales.
3rd Parliament of Great Britain. 4th Parliament of Great Britain. 5th Parliament of Great Britain.
Royal Society]
At the 1710 general election, Oliphant was elected in the Duke of Argyll"s interest (Member of Parliament) as the Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Ayr Burghs.