- Born:
- April 16, 1660, Killyleagh, County Down, Ire.
- Died:
- Jan. 11, 1753, London, Eng. (aged 92)
Sir Hans Sloane, Baronet
-
Who was Sir Hans Sloane?
Sir Hans Sloane (1660ā1753) was a British physician and naturalist whose collection became the foundation for the British Museum in London.
As a child, Sloane showed a strong interest in plants and nature. He studied medicine in London and traveled to Jamaica in 1687 as a physician, where he gathered around 800 plant specimens and studied the local fish, mollusks, and insects. Sloane documented his findings in Catalogus Plantarum Quae in Insula Jamaica (1696) and Natural History of Jamaica (1707 and 1725).
Sloane invented a milk chocolate drink during his time in Jamaica. He was physician to Queen Anne and Kings George I and II, and he was the first medical professional to receive a hereditary title in 1716. He became president of the Royal College of Physicians (1719ā1735) and the Royal Society (1727ā1741).
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What was Sir Hans Sloane known for as a physician?
Sir Hans Sloane was a British physician and naturalist known for his significant contributions to medicine and science. He was physician to Queen Anne, King George I, and King George II. Sloane was progressive, adopting smallpox inoculation for the royal family while serving George I.
Sloane earned a reputation as an eye disease specialist, publishing Account of a Medicine for Soreness, Weakness and Other Distempers of the Eyes in 1745. He was elected president of the Royal College of Physicians in 1719, serving until 1735, and succeeded Isaac Newton as president of the Royal Society from 1727 to 1741.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where did Sir Hans Sloane travel during his career, and why?
Sir Hans Sloane, an Irish-British physician and naturalist, traveled to France to study medicine, earning an M.D. from the University of Orange in 1683. In 1685, he returned to London and was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society.
In 1687, Sloane traveled to Jamaica as the personal physician to the 2nd Duke of Albemarle, Christopher Monck, who had been appointed to govern the island. During his 15 months there, Sloane visited other West Indies islands, such as Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Barbados. This journey allowed him to study natural sciences, collect specimens, and observe local peoples and natural phenomena, which later contributed to botany, zoology, and the formation of the British Museum.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What important collections did Sir Hans Sloane gather?
Sir Hans Sloane, a British physician and naturalist, had a strong childhood curiosity about nature, with a particular interest in plants. During a 15-month trip to Jamaica, he collected specimens of about 800 plants and recorded information on fish, mollusks, and insects.
Sloane was also an avid collector and acquired the cabinets of other collectors, including William Charleton and James Petiver. Upon his retirement in 1741, his library and cabinet of curiosities had grown to be of unique value. Sloane bequeathed his collection to the nation, which formed the basis for the British Museum in 1759.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Sir Hans Sloane's collections help start museums in Britain?
Sir Hans Sloane's extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and curiosities significantly contributed to the establishment of museums in Britain. Upon his death, Sloane bequeathed his vast collection to the nation, stipulating that Parliament pay his executors Ā£20,000.
This bequest was accepted, forming the foundation of the British Museum, which opened to the public in 1759. Sloane's collection, which was developed from the cabinet of curiosities begun by Sir William Courteen, comprised over 70,000 items. The British Museum's initial collection also included the libraries of Robert Harley and Sir Robert Cotton. Sloane's contribution played a pivotal role in the museum's establishment and its subsequent expansion.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is Sir Hans Sloane's lasting impact on science and culture today?
Sir Hans Sloane, a British physician and naturalist, significantly impacted science and culture through his collection of books, manuscripts, and curiosities. This collection formed the basis of the British Museum in London, established in 1753, preserving artifacts like the Rosetta Stone and Elgin Marbles for public viewing. Sloane's work also includes his records of plant specimens, fish, mollusks, and insects. Furthermore, his adaptation of a cacao drink in Jamaica led to the creation of milk chocolate.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Sir Hans Sloane, Baronet (born April 16, 1660, Killyleagh, County Down, Ire.ādied Jan. 11, 1753, London, Eng.) was a British physician and naturalist whose collection of books, manuscripts, and curiosities formed the basis for the British Museum in London.
As a child Sloane possessed a strong curiosity of nature, and he developed a particular interest in plants. After studying medicine in London, Sloane traveled in France, taking an M.D. degree at the University of Orange in 1683. In 1685 he returned to London and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. He proceeded to practice medicine as an assistant to British physician Thomas Sydenham. Sloane was made a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1687. That same year he accepted an opportunity to visit Jamaica, traveling as personal physician to the 2nd duke of Albermarle, Christopher Monck, who had been appointed to govern the island.
The journey to Jamaica provided Sloane with the chance to pursue his interest in the natural sciences. During the 15 months of his travels, he visited multiple islands in the West Indies, including Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Barbados. He ultimately collected specimens of about 800 plants. He also recorded information on and collected specimens of various fish, mollusks, and insects, and he observed the local peoples and contemplated the natural phenomena of the area. His observations and the specimens he collected during the voyage laid the foundation for his later contributions to botany and zoology and for his role in the formation of the British Museum. He returned to England in 1689, his trip having been cut short by Monckās death. Sloaneās collection of plants from the West Indies was one of the first from that region to reach England.
Sloaneās trip to Jamaica also led to his invention of a milk chocolate beverage. While on the island, he encountered a local drink made from a cacao plant. The beverage apparently made him nauseous. To avoid this, he decided to mix the cacao material with milk. He found this concoction to be not only more tolerable but also tasty and healthy. Shortly after Sloaneās return to England, his milk-based concoction was sold by apothecaries as a medicinal product. Sloaneās recipe later formed the basis for a milk chocolate product manufactured by Cadbury Brothers.
In 1696 Sloane published in Latin an elaborate catalogue (Catalogus Plantarum Quae in Insula Jamaica) on the plants he collected in Jamaica. He later published Natural History of Jamaica (2 vol., 1707 and 1725), a comprehensive account of his studies of the natural phenomena of the island country.
Sloane also made important contributions to medicine. He was physician to Queen Anne, King George I, and King George II. He was created a baronet in 1716, becoming the first medical practitioner to receive a hereditary title. Sloane was relatively progressive as a physician, and, while serving George I, he adopted the practice of inoculation against smallpox for members of the royal family. In 1719 Sloane was elected president of the Royal College of Physicians, a post he served until 1735. In 1727 he became president of the Royal Society, succeeding physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton; he held the position until 1741. Sloane earned a reputation as a specialist in eye diseases, and he eventually published Account of a Medicine for Soreness, Weakness and Other Distempers of the Eyes (1745).
Sloane was also known as an avid collector, and he benefited greatly from the acquisition of the cabinets of other collectors, including amateur scientist William Charleton (Courten, 1642ā1702) and English apothecary and botanist James Petiver. When Sloane retired from active work in 1741, his library and cabinet of curiosities had grown to be of unique value, and on his death he bequeathed his collection to the nation, on condition that Parliament pay his executors Ā£20,000. The bequest was accepted and went to form the collection opened to the public as the British Museum in 1759.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
Sloane had no son that survived beyond infancy, and the baronetcy became extinct upon his death.