RADCLIFFE, Dr. Jonx, a celebrated physician, and the founder Gf the Radcliffe library at Oxford, was born at Wakefield in Yorkshire, in the year 1650. lie was instructed in Greek and Latin at the grammar-school of his native town; and at the early age of 15 lie was sent to University college, Oxford. In 1672 he took his degree or M.A., applied himself to the study of medicine, and having taken his degree of 3,T,B. in 1675, began to practice as a licentiate at Oxford. He immediately made himself con spicuous by the orbrinality of some of his ideas, treating the cases in which he was engaged with a total disregardof the usually received rules of the profession, and even holding up these to censure and ridicule. At the very commencement of his practice he made some remarkable cures; and in less than two years was on the high road to celebrity. In 1682 he took the degree of M.D., and remained still two years longer at Oxford in the practice of a lucrative profession.
In 1684 Dr. Radcliffe removed to London. He established himself in Bow street, Covent garden, where, in less than a year, lie became the most popular physician of his time. It is said that his conversational powers, ready wit. and pleasantry contributed to this result, quiteas much as his professional skill. In 1686 the princess Anne of Den mark, _made him her physician. After the revolution, he was sent for by king William, who frequently had recourse to his advice, and the example of the sovereign was fol lowed by most of the nobility and influential persons about the court. Dr. Radcliffe. however, was himself no courtier; lie had no occasion to become one. Dr. Mead, who knew hint well, pronounced of him, that lie was " deservedly at the head of his profes sion, on account of his great medical penetration and experience." Blunt and inde pendent in his manners—some indeed say even brutal, people nevertheless recognized under his rough exterior that quick perception and keen observation of symptoms which are so important in a master of the healing art; and thus his advice was asked by per sons of all ranks, in return for which he 'received fees of an unprecedented amount.
In 1694 he was called upon to attend queen Mary, when attacked by the small-pox. It proved to be her last illness, as Dr. Radcliffe predicted, even before seeing her— merely upon reading the prescriptions of the other physicians in attendaneebefore he was sent for. He did what he could, however, to save her, but in vain; and some attributed her death either to his want of skill or negligence. About this time he offended the princess Anne, who, having sent for him on 'some occasion to St. James's, had the mortification to hear that he swore all her royal highness's ailments were nothing else than "the vapors." This, combined with her knowledge of Dr. Radcliffe's too great fondness for the bottle, made her appoint Dr. Gibbons as her physician in his place.
Still, the king continued to employ him. On one occasion, he sent for him to the Netherlands to attend upon his favorite, the earl of Albemarle, for which he received £1200 from the king, and £400 from the patient himself, besides a diamond ring. To the king himself he frequently spoke with much honesty and plainness ailments; once, however, he took too great a liberty, for upon his majesty showing him his swollen ankles, and asking him what he thought of them, Dr. Radcliffe •replied. " Why, truly. I would not have your majesty's two legs for your three kingdoms."• This was toward the end of 1699. He was not again consulted by that sovereign, who soon afterward died; nor was he ever again completely reinstated in the good graces of queen Anne, although she occasionally consulted him, and rewarded him handsomely for his services.
In 1713 he was elected M.P. for Buckingham. He had a country-house at Carshaltom to which he used occasionally to retire; and here he was living in 1714, when queen Anne was attacked with what proved to be her last illness. Dr. Radcliffe was sum moned to attend her, but he either would not or could not come. He had taken physic, he said,•nd it was impossible for him to attend. The queen died in August; and the popu lace were so enraged against Dr. Radcliffe that he dared not again show his face in London. This much chagrined him, as it kept him a prisoner in a country village. His own end, however, was fast approaching. He Must have been really ill when sent for to the queen, as lie himself survived her for only two or three months. Dr. Rad cliffe died of gout at Carshalton on Nov. 1. 1714. and was hurled at Oxford in St. Mary's church with much ceremony. He died possessed of considerable property. the whole of which be bequeathed to public uses. Thus, to University college he left his ' 1 estate in Yorkshire, in trust, for the eudowment of two traveling fellowships, and the purchase of perpetual . advowsons, together with £5,000 for the enlargement of the college buildings. He left £40,000 for the erection of a public library in Oxford, since known as the Radcliffe library (q.v.), which lie endowed with £150 per annum for a librarian, and £100 per annum for the purchase of books. To St. Bartholomew's hospital, London, he bequeathed the yearly sum of .4:500 toward mending the diet, and £100 per annum for the purchase of linen. The rest of his property he gave to his executors in trust for such charitable purposes as they might best approve. The Radcliffe infirmary and Radcliffe observatory, at Oxford, were both erected out of this fund; and from the same source, in 1823, the Radcliffe trustees contributed the sum of £2,000 toward the erection of the college of physicians in Pall Mall.