James Johnson (surgeon and writer)

James Johnson (also Johnston; February 1777 – 10 October 1845) was an influential British writer on diseases of tropical climates in the first half of the nineteenth century. Born in Ireland, at the early age of 15 he became an apprentice to a surgeon-apothecary in Antrim for two years. After spending two further 2 years in Belfast, he moved to London for the surgeon's examination, which he passed in 1798. Immediately afterwards, he was appointed surgeons's mate on a naval vessel, on which he sailed to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. In 1800 he took part in an expedition to Egypt and, in 1803, sailed for India.

In 1814, Johnson attended the Duke of Clarence (afterward William IV of the United Kingdom), and when Clarence became king was appointed as his physician extraordinary. He developed from that point careers as a physician and medical writer.

Johnson was born at Ballinderry, County Londonderry, Ireland, in February 1777, in a Scots-Irish family, at a small farm on which his father lived. He lost his parents early, received a scanty education at the parish school, and at the age of 15 was apprenticed to a surgeon-apothecary at Portglenone, County Antrim. Here he stayed two years; he passed two more at Belfast, and then moved to London, where he arrived without money or friends, to finish his medical education. While supporting himself as an apothecary's assistant Johnson passed an examination at Surgeons' Hall in 1798.

Johnson was appointed surgeon's mate in the navy, and sailed to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, visiting the naval hospitals whenever his ship was in harbour. In January 1800 he passed his second examination, and in February he was made full surgeon and was appointed to the sloop-of-war HMS Cynthia. He accompanied the expedition against the French forces in Egypt, but was forced to return to London invalided. He spent the winter in studying anatomy at the theatre in Great Windmill Street School of Anatomy, and in June 1801 obtained an appointment on the sloop-of-war HMS Driver, and served in the North Sea.

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