James Parsons (physician)
James Parsons FRS (1705 – 4 April 1770) was an English physician, antiquary and author.
Born in Barnstaple, he was brought up in Ireland before going to Paris to study medicine. He received his degree from Rheims and in 1736 moved to London to study with the anatomist James Douglas.
In 1741 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was Assistant Foreign Corresponding Secretary of the Society from about 1750.
Life
He was born in March 1705 at Barnstaple, Devon. He was educated in Dublin, his father having moved to Ireland on receiving the appointment of barrack-master at Bolton. He acted for a time as tutor to Lord Kingston, but later went to Paris, where he studied medicine for several years. He took the degree of doctor of medicine at Rheims on 11 June 1736. A month later he came to London with letters of introduction from Paris to Hans Sloane, Richard Mead, and Dr. James Douglas. He assisted Douglas in his anatomical studies, was through his interest appointed physician to the public infirmary of St. Giles in 1738, and began an obstetric practice. He was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians on 1 April 1751.