WILLIAM FREDRIC CHAMBERS, the son of an East Indian civil servant, whose family belonged to Northumberland, was born in India in 1786. Brought to England in 1793 in consequence of his father’s death, he was educated at Bath, Westminster, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1808. He had hoped for a fellowship, intending to take orders; but being disappointed, he turned to medicine, and entered at the Great Windmill Street School, subsequently spending a year at Edinburgh, and returning to study at St. George’s Hospital, the Eye Infirmary at Moorfields, and at Bateman’s celebrated Dispensary. His diligence, both in practical medical study and in dissections, attracted the attention of the St. George’s physicians, and on the resignation of Dr. Pelham Warren, then one of the leaders of London practice, he was brought forward and elected physician to the Hospital in 1816 when only thirty years of age. His East Indian connection secured him, in 1819, the post of examining physician to the East India Company, after being some time assistant-physician. Notwithstanding his early prominence, his professional income rose but slowly, showing that neither ability nor patronage will avail greatly in competition with the established favourites. It was 1825 before Chambers’s practice amounted to £2000; and his pre-eminence was not marked till the death of Dr. Maton in 1835, and the great age of Sir Henry Halford (who died in 1844), left him in indisputed possession of the leading London practice. From 1836 to about 1851 he received in fees between seven and nine thousand guineas a year. In 1836 he was consulted by Queen Adelaide, and in 1837 was made Physician-in-Ordinary to William IV., declining knighthood, though made Commander of the Guelphic order. He was continued as Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria, and his successful career was uninterrupted, except by rather frequent ill-health. About 1851, owing to the failure of his health, he retired from practice, and settled near Lymington, where he died on the 17th December 1855.