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William Babington was born at Portglenone, near Coleraine, Antrim, Ireland. Apprenticed to a practitioner at Londonderry, and afterwards completed his medical education at Guy's Hospital, London, but without at that time taking a medical degree. In 1777 he was made assistant surgeon to Haslar (Naval) Hospital, and held this appointment four years. He then obtained the position of apothecary to Guy's Hospital, and also lectured on chemistry in the medical school. He resigned the post of apothecary, and, having obtained the necessary degree of MD from the University of Aberdeen in 1795, was elected physician to Guy's Hospital. In 1796 he became a licentiate of the College of Physicians, and remained so till 1827, when he received the unusual honour of being elected fellow by special grace. In 1831 he was made honorary MD by the University of Dublin. He ceased to be physician to Guy's in 1811. He died on 29 April 1833. His son, Benjamin Guy Babington was also also physician to Guy's Hospital, and one of his daughters married the eminent physician, Dr. Richard Bright.
Publications: Syllabus of the Course of Chemical Lectures at Guy's Hospital, 1789; A Systematic Arrangement of Minerals, founded on the joint consideration of their chemical, physical, and external characters, etc, London, 1795; A New System of Mineralogy, in the Form of Catalogue, after the manner of Baron Born's systematic catalogue of the collection of fossils of Mlle. Eleonore de Raab, London, 1799; A Catalogue, systematically arranged and described ... of the genuine and valuable collection of minerals, of a gentleman deceased ... comprising upwards of three thousand specimens ... now offered to the public for sale, etc. [Compiled by W. Babington and others.] Henry Fry: London, 1805; Outlines of a course of lectures on the practice of medicine,. as delivered in the medical school of Guy's Hospital, William Babington and James Curry, London,1802-1806; A syllabus of a course of chemical lectures read at Guy's Hospital William Babington, Alexander Marcet, and William Allen, ... 1816; Two Cases of Rabies Canina, in which opium was given, without success ... the one by William Babington ... the other by William Wavell ... Communicated by Dr. Babington; 'A Case of Exposure to the Vapour of Burning Charcoal' (Med.-Chirurgical Transactions, vol. i. 1806).