Editing William Withering (section)

==Biography==
[[File:Edgbaston Hall 02.JPG|thumb|[[Edgbaston Hall]]]]
Born in England, Withering attended [[Edinburgh Medical School]] from 1762 to 1766. In 1767 he started as a consultant at Stafford Royal Infirmary. He married Helena Cookes (an amateur botanical illustrator, and a former patient of his) in 1772; they had three children (the first, Helena was born in 1775 but died a few days later, William was born in 1776, and Charlotte in 1778).  In 1775 he was appointed physician to [[Birmingham General Hospital]] (at the suggestion of [[Erasmus Darwin]], a physician and founder member of the [[Lunar Society]]), but in 1783 he diagnosed himself as having [[pulmonary tuberculosis]] and went twice to Portugal hoping the better winter climate would improve his health;  it did not.  On the way home from his second trip there, the ship he was in was chased by pirates.  In 1785 he was elected a Fellow of the prestigious [[Royal Society]] and also published his ''Account of the Foxglove'' (see below).   The following year he leased [[Edgbaston Hall]], in [[Birmingham, England|Birmingham]].  He was one of the members of the [[Lunar Society]].<ref name=Lee1>[http://www.rcpe.ac.uk/journal/issue/vol31_no1/S_Withering.pdf "William Withering (1741-1799): A Birmingham Lunatic" ''Proc R Coll Physicians Edinb 2001; 31:77-83.'' Accessed 28 June 2009]</ref>  During the [[Priestley Riots|Birmingham riots of 1791]] (in which [[Joseph Priestley]]'s home was demolished) he prepared to flee from Edgbaston Hall, but his staff kept the rioters at bay until the military arrived.  In 1799 he decided that he could not tolerate another winter in the cold and draughty Hall, so he bought "The Larches" in the nearby [[Sparkbrook]] area; his wife did not feel up to the move and remained at Edgbaston Hall.  After moving to The Larches on 28 September, he died on 6 October 1799.