James Parsons (physician)

He assisted Douglas in his anatomical studies, was through his interest appointed physician to the public infirmary of St. Giles in 1738, and began an obstetric practice.

[1] For many years Parsons lived in Red Lion Square, London, and knew Martin Folkes, Mead, William Stukeley, and other fellows of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies.

He focused on the similarities in basic numerals and concluded that the languages were descended from the Biblical Japheth's offspring, who had migrated from Armenia.

His book has remained obscure and was largely neglected in subsequent scholarship, and the discovery of the Indo-European language family is traditionally instead assigned to Sir William Jones.

Parsons is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of giant chameleon, Calumma parsonii and a genus of plants Parsonsia.