William Austin

William Austin (1754–1793) was a physician and mathematician of extensive practice and the author of "A treatise on the stone", a Goulstonian Lecture.

Childhood and education He was born at Wotton-under-Edge, in Gloucestershire, 28 December 1754. His forefathers for several generations had been clothiers in the town, William was the youngest of eight children. After receiving a classical education at the local grammar school he was admitted, in 1773, a commoner of Wadham College, Oxford. Here he began the study of Hebrew, and had in a short time made sufficient progress to obtain an exhibition. He became a scholar of his college, and, as he had successfully studied Hebrew to obtain one exhibition, now mastered botany to gain another. His studies in botany determined his choice of a profession in the direction of physic. He made, however, one more learned digression, and, after graduating B.A. in 1776, was elected assistant tutor to Dr. White, Laudian Professor of Arabic. After giving some lectures on Arabic, Austin in 1779 came to London and began his medical studies at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Percival Pott, the famous surgeon, formed a high opinion of Austin, and said to Earle, his colleague: 'You will see Austin at the head of his profession.' Austin went back to Oxford, and proceeded M.A. 1780, M.B. 1782, M.D. 1783.

Career In 1781 Austin published the commentary, An Examination of the First Six Books of Euclid's Elements. In the same year, and after he had begun to practice as a physician at Oxford, he lectured on mathematics during the absence of John Smith, the Savilian Professor of Geometry. In 1784 he planned, but did not deliver, a course of lectures on physiology, and in 1785 he was elected professor of chemistry. He became also physician to the Radcliffe Infirmary. In 1786, on a vacancy at St Bartholomew's, Dr. Austin was elected physician to that hospital, and removed to London. He rapidly acquired a large private practice, but continued his chemical studies, and was the first to institute regular chemical lectures in the school of St. Bartholomew's. He died on 21 Jan. 1793 of a rapid febrile disorder.

William Hayley was a close friend of Austin, and upon Austin's death, William Cowper, who was Hayley's friend, wrote a sonnet memorializing Austin.