Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 11.djvu/199

 Street.' When Swift came to London in September 1710, on his three years' visit chronicled in the 'Journal to Stella,' the first of his many recorded dinners was with Dr. Cockburn. The latter is often mentioned in the 'Journal,' once as 'honest Dr. Cockburn,' and another time as having 'generally such a parcel of Scots with him.' Although Swift was more in the company of Drs. Freind, Arbuthnot, and Garth, than of Cockburn, it was the latter whom he chose as his medical adviser. He was in large practice, some of it brought to him by the secret remedy for fluxes, and some of it doubtless by his other writings (in which the treatment was also vaguely given at first), on the 'Lues venerea,' and on the 'Symptoms, Nature, and Cure of a Gonorrhoea.' The latter was well thought of, went through four editions, and was translated abroad. In the same class of writings was his 'Account of the Nature and Cure of Looseness,' 2nd ed. 1710. In 1699 he contributed a paper on the 'Operation of a Blister' to the 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society,' of which he became fellow. His other writings were pamphlets connected more or less directly with his secret remedy. One of these, 'The Present Uncertainty in the Knowledge of Medicines,' 1703, was a letter to the physicians in the commission for sick and wounded seamen, in which he remonstrates with them for their dogmatic narrowness of view. Another on 'The Danger of Improving Physick,' 1730, is a well-written rejoinder to the 'cabal' of academical physicians, who opposed him on account of his secret remedy, and particularly to Dr. Freind, who had turned against him in his 'History of Physick' (1725) after being on good terms with him for twenty years. 'The most learned physicians,' he says, 'are always most subject to obloquy, on account of their superior knowledge and discoveries.'

Cockburn was twice married: first, in 1698, to Mary de Baudisson, widow, who died on 6 July 1728, aged 64; and again on 5 April 1729 to Lady Mary Fielding, eldest daughter of Basil, fourth earl of Denbigh. According to the contemporary gossip, he found the latter, who was his patient, in tears at the prospect of having to leave London owing to her reduced circumstances; whereupon the doctor said, 'Madam, if fifty thousand pounds and the heart of an old man will console you, they are at your service.' Cockburn is described as 'an old, very rich quack,' and the lady as 'very ugly.' He died ten years after (November 1739), aged 70, and was buried in the middle aisle of Westminster Abbey.  COCKBURN, WILLIAM (1768–1835), lieutenant-general, only son of  (fl. 1783) [q. v.], who was wounded by the side of Wolfe at the battle of Quebec, and afterwards became quartermaster-general of the forces, was, to quote the obituary notice in the 'Gentleman's Magazine,' born 'in a camp' in 1768. About his family and the baronetcy which he afterwards assumed as fifth baronet of Ryslaw and Cockburn, there is much doubt (see Baronetage, 'Chaos'), but he certainly entered the army as an ensign in the 37th regiment in 1778, when a mere boy. He was promoted lieutenant in 1779, and after serving through the latter part of the American war became captain in the 92nd on 27 April 1783. His regiment was disbanded at the end of the war, and he went on half-pay until 1790, when he received a company in the 73rd regiment, which was then in India. He served through the last campaigns of the first Mysore war in the western army, under Sir Robert Abercromby [q. v.], and when the two armies met before Seringapatam he was appointed acting engineer, and made a valuable survey of the ground, which was afterwards published. He was promoted major in 1794 and lieutenant-colonel on 1 Jan. 1798, and in 1802 he returned to England, and exchanged to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 4th regiment. In 1804 he was appointed inspecting field officer of volunteers in Ireland, and was promoted colonel on 25 April 1808, and major-general on 4 June 1811. In 1813 he was appointed inspecting general officer for the Severn district, and on 19 July 1821 he was promoted lieutenant-general. On 19 March 1835 he died at his house in Lansdowne Crescent, Bath, aged 67. In the latter years of his life he was a prominent supporter of all the local charities of Bath, and was particularly active in founding the Society for the Relief of Occasional Distress, which had been projected by Lady Elizabeth King.  COCKER, EDWARD (1631–1675), arithmetician, was born late in 1631, as shown by two dated portraits (1657, set. 26; 1660, set. 28). A passage under ' Norfolk ' in ' Cocker's English Dictionary,' 2nd ed. 1715, cited to show that he was a Norfolk man, was added forty years after his death, and has no special reference to a particular county. He was probably one of the Northamptonshire Cokers. In 1657 he was living 'on the south side of St. Paul's Churchyard, over 