John Arbuthnot

Biography

Arbuthnot was born in Kincardineshire[?], Scotland. After the 1691 death of his father, an Episcopalian minister, Arbuthnot went to London, where he supported himself by teaching Mathematics.

In 1692, he translated Christian Huygens' treatise on probability, adding material of his own. This was the first work on probability published in English. Also in 1692, he entered University College, Oxford, and in 1696 he received an M.D. at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Around 1700, Arbuthnot published his Essay on the usefulness of mathematical learning. He became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1704.

He was called in to provide medical care for Prince George of Denmark[?], and in 1705 he was made physician extraordinary to Queen Anne.

Along with friends Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and John Gay, Arbuthnot was a member of the Scriblerus Club[?], formed to satire the abuses of learning. Arbuthnot is best remembered for his 1712 "John Bull[?]" pamphlets, which satirized the Whig war party.

Alexander Pope's "Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot was written to him.