William Burnett

Sir William Burnett, KCB, FRS (16 January 1779 – 16 February 1861) was a British physician who served as Physician-General of the Royal Navy.

His health deteriorated and he returned to England towards the end of 1813; but in March 1814 he was able to undertake the medical charge of the Russian fleet in the Medway, which was suffering severely from fever.

On the completion of this service Burnett settled at Chichester as a physician until 1822, when Lord Melville offered him a seat at the Victualling Board as colleague of Dr. Weir, then Chief Medical Officer of the Navy.

The Admiralty found the process to be effective but when Burnett attempted to diversify into business on his own behalf, particularly the supply of treatments for railway construction timbers, it was to the detriment of his naval career.

[6] An Account of the Effect of Mercurial Vapours on the Crew of His Majesty's Ship Triumph, in the Year 1810 - William Burnett (1823)