# Anthony Addington > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Anthony_Addington > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Anthony_Addington.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Addington > Source revision: 1319220215 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Anthony Addington** (1713 – 22 March 1790) was an English physician. ## Life Addington was born at [Fringford](/source/Fringford,_Oxfordshire), youngest son of Henry Addington (1659-1729), a [gentleman](/source/Gentleman#Landed_gentry) who owned a "moderately sized" estate there, where the family had been settled for generations, and his second wife, Elizabeth (c. 1670-1746), daughter of Anthony and Joanna Watts, of [Sulgrave](/source/Sulgrave), [Northamptonshire](/source/Northamptonshire).[1] He was educated at [Winchester College](/source/Winchester_College). He went up to [Trinity College, Oxford](/source/Trinity_College,_Oxford), where he took the degree of M.A. on 13 May 1740 and of M.D. on 24 January 1744.[2] He was subsequently admitted a fellow of the [Royal College of Physicians](/source/Royal_College_of_Physicians), and went into practice in [London](/source/London), but was compelled by bad health to move to the country. His career gained considerable public attention when he appeared as an expert for the prosecution of [Mary Blandy](/source/Mary_Blandy) for the poisoning of her father Francis Blandy in 1752. He then retired to [Reading](/source/Reading,_Berkshire) in [Berkshire](/source/Berkshire), where he derived a large income from his profession, until his death in 1790. He devoted his attention particularly to the treatment of [insanity](/source/Insanity), and was one of the physicians called in to see [George III](/source/George_III) when he first showed symptoms of mental aberration. Addington was a confidential friend and adviser of [Lord Chatham](/source/Lord_Chatham). He took part in unsuccessful negotiations of a coalition between Chatham and [Lord Bute](/source/Lord_Bute). ## Works Addington wrote *An Essay on the Sea Scurvy, wherein is proposed an easy method of curing that distemper at sea, and of preserving water sweet for any cruise or voyage*. Reading, 1753. In this work, he describes the disease from accounts of others, rather than from his own observation. As treatment he recommended depletion, with the employment of [seawater](/source/Seawater) as a purgative, and drinks acidulated with [muriatic acid](/source/Muriatic_acid). He conceives meat to be injurious, but regards biscuit as food suitable to persons affected with [scurvy](/source/Scurvy). He asserted that the addition of an ounce and a half of muriatic acid to a tun of water, will prevent its putrefaction, and preserve it sweet for any length of time. *An authentic Account of the Part taken by the late Earl Chatham in a Transaction which passed in the beginning of the year 1778* is no longer attributed to Addington.[3] ## Family Addington married in 1745, Mary, daughter of the Rev. Haviland John Hiley, headmaster of [Reading grammar school](/source/Reading_grammar_school). [Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth](/source/Henry_Addington,_1st_Viscount_Sidmouth), [Prime Minister of the United Kingdom](/source/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom) from 1801 to 1804, was their eldest son.[3] [John Hiley Addington](/source/John_Hiley_Addington) was the second son.[4] - Anne, the eldest, married in 1770 William Goodenough M.D., who died that year.[5] - Eleanor, the second, married [James Sutton](/source/James_Sutton_(MP)) (died 1801) of Devizes.[6] - Elizabeth married William Hoskins.[7] - Charlotte, the youngest, married in 1788 [Charles Bragge Bathurst](/source/Charles_Bragge_Bathurst).[8] ## References - Long, George. *The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge*. London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1842–1844. 4 vols. - Espinasse, Francis. Vol. 1. ## Notes 1. ["The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"](https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-149). 2004. [doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/149](https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/149) 1. ["RBH Biography: Dr. Anthony Addington (1713-1790)"](http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/aaddington.html). *www.berkshirehistory.com*. Retrieved 2021-03-27. 1. Nutt, Claire L. "Addington, Anthony". 149. 1. ["Addington, John Hiley (1759–1818), of Chetwood, Som., History of Parliament Online"](http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/addington-john-hiley-1759-1818). Retrieved 21 September 2017. 1. [*Illustrations of the Literary History of the Eighteenth Century by John Nichols*](https://books.google.com/books?id=GIuXQpe-6wUC&pg=PA249). J. B. Nichols. 1831. p. 249. 1. Waylen, James (1839). [*Chronicles of the Devizes: being a history of the castle, parks and borough of that name; with notices statistical, parliamentary, ecclesiastic, and biographical*](https://books.google.com/books?id=nF0vAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA307). Printed for the Author, and sold by Longman and Co. p. 307. 1. Walford, Edward (1869). [*The County Families of the United Kingdom Or, Royal Manual of the Titled and Untitled Aristocracy of Great Britain and Ireland ...*](https://books.google.com/books?id=C9EkzFlBgz0C&pg=PA512). R. Hardwicke. p. 512. 1. [*The Gentleman's Magazine*](https://books.google.com/books?id=68qi1F9piXsC&pg=PA270). F. Jefferies. 1831. p. 270. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Anthony Addington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Addington) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Addington?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.