Richard Blackmore

Sir Richard Blackmore, (January 22 1654 – October 9, 1729), English poet and physician, is remembered primarily as the object of satire and as an example of a dull poet. He was, however, a respected physician and religious writer.

As a physician

Blackmore has come down, largely through the verse of Alexander Pope, as one avatar of Dulness, but, as a physician, he was quite forward thinking. He agreed with Sir Thomas Sydenham that observation and the physician's experience should take precedence over any Aristotelian ideals or hypothetical laws. He rejected Galen's humour theory as well. He wrote on plauge in 1720, smallpox in 1722, consumption in 1727.

Related Topics:
Thomas Sydenham - Aristotelian - Galen - Humour theory - Plauge - 1720 - Smallpox - 1722 - Consumption - 1727

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He died and was buried in Boxted, Essex and was buried in his local parish church, where a monument was constructed.

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