William Falconer, M.D., was born at Chester, in February, 1744, and was the son of William Falconer, esq., recorder of that city, by his wife Elizabeth, a daughter of R. Wilbraham, esq., of Townsend, near Nantwich. He received his medical education at Edinburgh, where he took the degree of doctor of medicine in 1766 (D.M.I. de Nephritide Verâ). He then proceeded to Leyden, and attended the lectures of Gaubius and Albinus. He was admitted an Extra-Licentiate of the College of Physicians 12th March, 1767; and, settling in practice at Chester, was the same year elected physician to the Chester infirmary, and on the 18th March, 1773, was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society. After a successful career in Chester, Dr. Falconer removed to Bath. His scientific reputation had preceded him, and at once introduced him into good practice. He was appointed physician to the Bath general hospital the 12th May, 1784, an office which he retained until the 10th February, 1819. He died at his house in the Circus, Bath, 31st August, 1824, aged eighty, and was buried at Weston, where he is thus commemorated:—
Beneath are deposited the remains of
WM. Falconer, M.D., F.R.S., son of Wm. Falconer,
Recorder of Chester, and Elizth. Wilbraham, dau.
of Randle Wilbraham, of Nantwich, Cheshire.
Born Feb. 23 (N.S.), 1744, died Aug. 31, 1824.
Henrietta, his wife, dau. Of Thomas Edmunds of Wosboro’ Hall,
York.
Born March 22, 1739; died Sept. 10, 1803.

Dr. Falconer was a fellow of the Royal Society, and a man of varied attainments, general as well as professional. He occupied a prominent position among his contemporaries; and his writings, which were very numerous, are still deservedly esteemed. They are—
An Essay on Bath Waters. 8vo. Lond. 1772.
Observations on Dr. Cadogan’s Dissertation on the Gout and all Chronic Diseases. 8vo. Lond. 1772.
An Essay on the Bath Waters: on their External Use. In Two Parts. I. On Warm Bathing in General. II. On the External Use of the Bath Waters. 8vo. 1774.
Observations and Experiments on the Poison of Copper. 12mo. Lond. 1774.
An Essay on the Water used in Diet at Bath. 12mo. Lond. 1776.
Experiments and Observations. In Three Parts. 8vo. Lond. 1776.
Observations on some of the Articles of Diet and Regimen usually recommended to Valetudinarians. 12mo. Lond. 1778.
Remarks on the Influence of Climate, Situation, Country, Population, Food, and Way of Life. 4to. Lond. 1781.
Account of the Epidemic Catarrhal Fever called the Influenza. 8vo. Lond. 1782.
On the Influence of the Passions upon the Disorders of the Body. 8vo. Lond. 1788.
Essay on the Preservation of the Health of Persons Employed in Agriculture, and on the Cure of Diseases incident to that Way of Life. 8vo. Bath. 1789.
A Brief Account of the newly-discovered Water at Middle Hill, near Box, in Wiltshire. 8vo. 1789.
Practical Dissertation on the Medicinal Effects of the Bath Waters. 8vo. Bath. 1790.
An Account of the Efficacy of the Aqua Mephitica Alkalina in Calculous Disorders and other Complaints of the Urinary Passages. 8vo. Lond. 1792.
Miscellaneous Tracts and Collections relating to Natural History, selected from the Principal Writers of Antiquity on that subject. 4to. Camb. 1793.
An Account of the Use, Application, and Success of the Bath Waters in Rheumatic Cases. 8vo. Lond. 1795.
Observations respecting the Pulse. 12mo. Lond. 1796.
An Essay on the Plague; also, a Sketch of a Plan of Internal Police. 8vo. Lond. 1801.
An Examination of Dr. Heberden’s Observations on the Increase and Decrease of Different Diseases, and particularly the Plague. 8vo. Bath. 1802.
An Account of the Epidemic Catarrhal Fever, commonly called the Influenza, as it appeared at Bath in the Winter and Spring of 1803. 8vo. Bath. 1803.
A Remonstrance addressed to the Rev. Richard Warner on the subject of his Fast Sermon. 8vo. Bath. 1804.
A Dissertation on the Ischias; or, the Disease of the Hip-joint, commonly called a Hip Case. 8vo. Lond. 1805.
Arrian’s Voyage round the Euxine Sea, with a Geographical Description; and three Discourses. 4to. Oxford. 1805.
Observations on the Words which the Centurion uttered at the Crucifixion of our Lord. 8vo. Oxford. 1805.
Dissertation on St. Paul’s Voyage from Cæsarea to Puteoli; on the Wind Euroclydon; and on the Apostle’s Shipwreck on the Island of Melite. 8vo. Oxford. 1817.

Dr. Falconer’s portrait, by Daniel, was engraved by J. Fittler.

William Munk