JAMES, Dr Robert, an English physician of great eminence, and particularly distinguished by the preparation of a most excellent fever-powder, was born at Kinverstons in Staffordshire, A. D. 1703: his father a major in the army, his mother a sister of Sir Robert Clarke. He was of St John's college in Oxford, where he took the degree of A. B. and afterwards practised physic at Sheffield, Lichfield, and Birmingham successively. Then he removed to London, and became a licentiate in the college of physicians; but in what years is not known. At London he applied himself to writing as well as practising physic; and in 1743, published a Medical Dictionary, in 3 vols. folio. Soon after he published an English translation, with a Supplement by himself, of Romazzini de morbis artificum; to which he also prefixed a piece of Frederic Hoffman upon Endemical Disempers, 8vo. In 1746, The Practice of Physic, 2 vols. 8vo; in 1760, On Canine Madness, 8vo; in 1764, A Dispensatory, 8vo. June 25. 1755, when the king was at Cambridge, James was admitted by mandamus to the doctorship of physic. In 1788, were published, A Dissertation upon Fevers, and A Vindication of the Fever-powder, 8vo; with A Short Treatise on the Disorders of Children, and a very good print of Dr James. This was the 8th edition of the Dissertation, of which the first was printed in 1751; and the purpose of it was, to set forth the success of this powder, as well as to describe more particularly the manner of administering it. The Vindication was posthumous and unfinished: for he died March 23. 1776, while he was employed upon it.—Dr James was married, and left several sons and daughters.
JAMES's Powder, a medicine prepared by Robert James, which is known also by the name of James's fever powder. See MATERIA MEDICA Index.
JAMES's Town, a borough and market town of Ireland, in the county of Leitrim, and province of Connaught; situated five miles north-west of Carrick, on Shannon, and 73 north-west of Dublin, in N. Lat. 53. 44. W. Long. 8. 15. It has a barrack for a company of foot, and returns two members to parliament; patronage in the family of King.—It has three fairs.
St JAMES's Day, a festival of the Christian church, observed on the 25th of July, in honour of St James the greater, son of Zebedee.
Epistle of St JAMES, a canonical book of the New Testament, being the first of the catholic or general epistles; which are so called, as not being written to one but to several Christian churches.
This general epistle is addressed partly to the believing and partly to the infidel Jews; and is designed to correct the errors, soften the ungoverned zeal, and reform the indecent behaviour of the latter; and to comfort the former under the great hardships they then did, or shortly were to suffer, for the sake of Christianity.