Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 17.djvu/124

Edwards the fourth in 1751. Under the new title of 'Gleanings of Natural History' three additional volumes were issued in 1758, 1760, and 1764 respectively. Nearly six hundred subjects in natural history not before delineated are here engraved. A generical index in French and English was added. Linnæus often corresponded with Edwards, and prepared an additional index of the Linnsæn names. Edwards's collection of drawings was purchased by the Marquis of Bute shortly before the naturalist's death. Edwards's papers in the 'Philosophical Transactions' were collected by J. Robson, and issued with the Linnæan index in 1776. Edwards was also the author of 'Essays of Natural History' (1770) and 'Elements of Fossilogy' (1776).

[Biog. Brit. (Kippis); Nichols's Lit. Anecd. 317-26; Watt's Bibl. Brit.]  EDWARDS, GEORGE, M.D. (1752–1823), took his degree at Edinburgh University in 1772, and appears to have practised as a physician in London, and latterly at Barnard Castle, Durham. He was an untiring propounder of political and social schemes between 1779 and 1819. The British Museum contains forty-two of his books; the following titles are sufficiently significant: 'A certain Way to save our Country, and make us a more happy and flourishing people than at any former period of our history ' (1807); 'The Practical System of Human Economy, or the New Era at length fully ascertained, whereby we are able in one immediate simple undertaking to remove the distress, burdens, and grievances of the times, and to bring all our interests, public, private, and commercial, to their intended perfection' (1816). Edwards's writings abound in the unconscious humour of the egotist deeply persuaded of his mission. He gives notice that 'the Almighty has destined that I should discover his true system of human economy.' In a petition to the House of Commons (1816?) he prays that the house should carry out the schemes which were the fruits of 'almost half a century's attention.' Among his proposals were the removal of taxes hurtful to industry, economy and reduction of public expenditure, the sale of certain national properties, particularly Gibraltar, the extension of the income tax to all orders, and forbearance for any requisite period to pay off the national debt as 'altogether superfluous with the accession of the new and happy era of mankind.' Government boards were to superintend all the interests of mankind, and everybody was to be actuated by truly christian principles. He published an address 'aux citoyens Français sur la Nouvelle Constitution,' and 'Idées pour former une Nouvelle Constitution, et pour assurer la prospérité et le bonheur de la France et d'autres nations' (Paris, 1793). It does not appear that Edwards attracted any attention, and it may be conjectured that his sanity was imperfect. He died in London on 17 Feb. 1823, in his seventy-second year.

[Gent. Mag. (1823), p. 569; Brit. Mus. Cat.]  EDWARDS, GEORGE NELSON, M.D. (1830–1868), physician, son of a surgeon, was born at Eye, Suffolk, in 1830, and received his school education in part at the grammar school of Yarmouth, and in part at that of Beccles. He obtained one of the studentships in medicine endowed by Tancred, a Yorkshire squire, at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated M.B. in 1851, and after studying at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, obtained the license in medicine then given by the university of Cambridge in 1854, and became M.D. in 1859. He was elected assistant-physician to St. Bartholomew's Hospital in 1860, was secretary to the medical council of the hospital from 14 Jan. 1865 to 9 Feb. 1867, and was in 1866 elected lecturer on forensic medicine in the medical school. He also held the office of medical registrar, and was elected physician to the hospital 23 Jan. 1867, but did not long enjoy that office. One day, while going round the wards, he fell down in a uræmic convulsion, was removed to his own house, and went through many of the most distressing accompaniments of chronic Bright's disease. He grew blind so gradually that he did not know when he had totally ceased to see. A physician who had been at Caius College with him used constantly to visit him, and one day found him sitting before a window through which a bright sun was shining on his face. 'Please draw up the blind,' said Edwards, unconscious that the atrophy of his optic discs was complete. He was a small man, who had been bullied at school, teased at Cambridge, and envied at St. Bartholomew's for the success which was the reward of perseverance rather than of ability. He attained considerable practice, and seemed sure of a long tenure of it when his fatal illness began. He bore it heroically, and never complained but once, and then not of his sufferings, but of a remark which made him think a candidate for his office was too anxious to succeed him. He died 6 Dec. 1868. He edited the first three volumes of the 'St. Bartholomew's Hospital Reports,' 1865-7, and published in 1862