Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/558

 554 SLOANE, delay which took place in the publication of this work is principally attributed to the time which he expended in the arrangement and preservation of his museum, which, by many valuable acquisitions, (particularly of Courten's collection in 1702, and of Petiver's in 1718,) had, at the period of the publication of the second volume, as we are informed by the introduction, been increased to two hun dred volumes of preserved plants, and more than 26,200 articles of natural history. Much of this delay may also be reasonably attributed to his professional avocations, in which he had, speedily after his return, arrived at great eminence, In 1694, he was chosen physician of Christ's hospital, in which station, which he retained till 1730, he afforded a rare specimen of liberality, by annually appropriating the emoluments which he received from that institution, to the relief of those connected with it who appeared to him most in need of i t. He had previously, i n 1693, been chosen secretary t o the Royal Society, i n which office, which h e held till 1712, h e revived the publication o f the Philosophical Transactions, which had been discontinued since 1687, and t o which h e became a frequent and valua ble contributor. I n 1708, during the war with France, h e was elected a foreign member o f the Academy o f Sciences a t Paris. His professional fame was b y this time s o well established, that honours began t o fall thick upon him; h e was frequently consulted b y Queen Anne, who was blooded by him i n her last illness; and, o n the acces sion o f George I . h e was created a baronet, and appointed physician-general t o the army, which was followed by his election i n 1719, t o the presidency o f the College o f Physicians. I n 1721, h e gave the freehold o f his botanical garden a t Chelsea, consisting o f nearly four acres, t o the Society o f Apothecaries, o n condition o f their annually delivering t o the Royal Society fifty new plants, until the number should amount t o two thousand, a l l specifically different from each other; a list o f which was t o b e published yearly