About the end of the year 1764, Dr Gregory removed from Aberdeen to Edinburgh. In 1766, he was appointed professor of the practice of physic, on the resignation of Dr Rutherford ; and in the same year, he succeeded Dr Whytt as first physician to his Majesty for Scotland. His lectures on the practice of physic were delivered in the years 1767, 1768, and 1769; but, in consequence of an ar t angement with Dr Cullen, professor of the theory of phy sic, these celebrated individuals gave alternate courses of the theory and practice of medicine. The lectures of Dr Gregory were never committed to writing. Having made himself fully master of his subject by previous meditation, he required no other aid than a few notes, containing the heads of his lecture. The introductory lectures, however, were carefully composed, and related principally to the duties and qualifications of a physician. Many copies of these lectures having been taken by his pupils, one of them was offered for sale to a bookseller. It therefore became necessary to anticipate this fraudulent design, by the pub lication of a correct copy, which appeared in 1770, and afterwards in a more enlarged and perfect form, in 1772. In the same year, Dr Gregory published Elements of the Practice of Physic,for the use of Students, a work intended as a textbook for the use of his pupils. He proposed to embrace all the diseases of which he treated in his lectures; but he did not live to bring the work farther down than to the end of the class of febrile diseases.
After the death of his wife in 1761, Dr Gregory occupi ed his solitary hours in the composition of a Father's Le gacy to his Daughters. This admirable work, which every mother should study, and every daughter read, was writ ten under the impression of an early death. It is marked by a deep knowledge of the world and of human cha racter, and abounds with the finest lessons of piety and virtue.
Front the eighteenth year of his age, Dr. Gregory had been, at irregular intervals, attacked with the gout ; a dis ease which he inherited from his mother, who died sud denly, in 1770, while sitting at table. Dr Gregory antici pated a similar event for himself, and often mentioned this impression to his friends. In January 1773, when convers ing with his son, the present Dr Gregory, the latter re marked, that having had no attack for the three preceding years, he might expect a pretty severe lit of it that season.
His father was displeased with the prediction, which was unfortunately too correct ; for he was found dead on the morning of the 10th of February, although he had gone to bed in his usual health.
" Dr Gregory," says his friend and biographer, Mr Tyt ler, " was in person considerably above the middle size. His frame of body was constructed with symmetry, but not with elegance. His limbs were not active ; he stooped somewhat in his gait ; and his countenance, from a fulness of feature, and a heaviness of eye, gave no external indica tion of superior pow ers of mind or abilities. It was utherwise when engaged in conversation. His features then became animated, and his eye most expressive. He bad a warmth of tone and of gesture, which gave a pleasing interest to every thing which he uttered. But, united with this animation, there was in him a gentleness and simpli city of manner, which, with little attention to the exterior and regulated forms of politeness, was more engaging than the most finished address. His conversation flowed with case ; and when in company with literary men, without af fecting a display of knowledge, he was liberal of the stores or his mind.
" He possessed a large share of the social and benevo lent affections, and which, in the exercise of his profes sion, manifested themselves in many nameless, but impor tant, attentions to those under his care; attentions which, proceeding in him from an extended principle of humanity, were not squared to the circumstances or rank of the pa tient, but ever bestowed most liberally where they were most requisite. In the care of his pupils, he was not satisfied with a faithful discharge of his public duties. To many of these, strangers in the country, and far removed from all who had a natural interest in their concerns, it was a matter of no small importance to enjoy the acquaint ance and countenance of one so universally respected and esteemed." Dr. Gregory left behind him three sons and two daugh ters, the eldest of whom is Doctor James Gregory, profes sor of the practice of medicine in the university of Edin burgh, who fully inherits the virtues and talents of his an cestors. The works of Dr John Gregory were published at Edinburgh in 1788, in 4 viols duodecimo, and were en riched with a well written life of the author, by the late Mr Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee, to which we have been indebted for the preceding facts.