The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-11
ENGLISH KING OWES THRONE
 TO DIR. MEAD

That George v now sits upon the throne of Great Britain is due in no small measure to the prognosis of an eighteenth century physician, Dr.. Richard Mead. who was born in Lon- don 24I years ago to-day, August il, 1873. When Queen Anne, last of the Stuarts, was seized with a fatal ill., ness just two centuries ago, in 1714, Dr. Mead was called in consultation After an examination of the stricken ruler he found that she was near death's door, and the doctor so in formed the leaders of the Whig par ty, with which he was affiliated The Wings favored the Hanovertan suc- cession, and Immediately on learning that Anne must soon s1rccu1nb, began to plan for the realization of their dynastic ambitions. The regular physicians of the Queen did not be- Heve that she was so near to death, so when Anne breathed her last in August of TIA the supporters of Anne's brother, James, were all un- prepared, Anne's Tory ministry was in favor of placing James on the throne, but the Whigs, thanks to Dr. Mead. had already taken such action as to insure the succession of the cleo tor of Hanover, and in September George I, made his triunphal entry into Scotland. Dr. Mead was re- warded by being made physician to the new royal family. Many Eng fish historians have attributed large imp portance to the physicians prog nosis in bringing about the succession of the royal house which has ruled England for two centuries.
 Dr. Mead was the most progressive, and the Wealthiest, of the physicians of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and medical science owes his services free to the poor, the cler- gy. and to literary workers, he charg- ed large fees when the consnItart Was possessed of means, and as he was 1 recognized as the foremost medical man of his time he had san average yearly income from his practive of 1 $35.0o0. This was consi dered a tre-
 mendous sum in those daysAand many doctors of this period would not
 sneeze at such an income He lived l in lavish style, often calling on his patients in a coach and six, ad at his town and country mansions he enter tained the greatest celebrities of the day Pope was his close friend, and
 every great writer of the period who I lived in or visited London found the
 doctors latchstring always out. He had a passion for books, statutes
 medals and paintings, and his coIec- lions were among the finest in Eng i land. The humblest student was al
 ways welcomed to the doctors mu-
 scum.
 I 1ne e4Pof1menLS4 cOnQucI6Qa by NDT I Mead were many and varied. IT
 his. youth he believed that the venom
 of serpents would prove useful in cer- tain diseases. and he risled his life
 many times in handling deadly snakes. When a terrible plague wis, I tied Europe, causing the death 0. thousands in MarseiIles and threat. tening England. Dr. Mead declared tha it was a contagious disease, and urg ed a quarantine. He proposed a sys I tenn of medical police, or health off I cers, and his plan was later adopted. I Dr. Mead fought several dueIs, bu he escaped unscathed, and died at tn, ripe old age of eighty. It is related T that in 9, duel between pr. Mead ant T a pr. Woodward, the latter slipped l and fell. and was at Mead's mercy Take your life, 7 said the magnani nous Mead. Anything but you,
 physic,' was the prompt response O
 his fallen opponent. The rival heal II CTS, who had quarreIled over medi cal question, then shook hands ant
 went away together. firm friend
 again