Hugh Adcock (physician)

Sir Hugh Adcock, CMG (1847 - 13 April 1920) was a British medical doctor and diplomat. He was chief physician to the Shah of Persia 1896-1905, and later Persian Consul-General in Florence.

Adcock was born in London in 1847, the son of Christopher Adcock (1809-1979), a surgeon, and his wife Catherine Elizabeth Ridgley. He was educated at Guy´s Hospital in London and in Cambridge, and obtained the diploma of physician (LRCP Edin.) and apothecary (LSA) in 1869; and of surgeon (MRCS Eng.) in 1872. He was in private practice in Heacham, Norfolk 1870-72, and in London 1872-88.

In 1889 Adcock moved to Teheran and accepted an appointment as Chief Physician to Prince Mozaffar ad-Din, then Wāli of Tabriz and a long-time heir to the State of Persia. When Mozaffar became Shah of Persia in 1896, Adcock was appointed Consulting Physician to the Shah, serving as such until replaced ten years later when he received an honorary appointment. There were speculations that political factors were behind his replacement by a French physician.

In 1905 he moved to Florence where he served as Persian Consul-General. His later years were spent in Devon.

Adcock received numerous decorations during his years in Persian service.

The British government appointed him a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1897, following Mozaffar ad-Din´s accession. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1901 New Year Honours, and received the knighthood on 11 February 1901. From Persia, he received the first class with cordon of the Order of the Lion and the Sun in 1897, and the Gold Star from Imperial College, Teheran, in 1893 for services during the severe cholera epidemic in the country the previous year.

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