Arbuthnot, John

John Arbuthnot was an early eighteenth - century physician and mathematician.  He wrote Of the Laws of Chance (1691), the first book on probability published in English. He praised mathematics for its power to free the mind from superstition. As a doctor, he is remembered for treating Prince George of Denmark, husband to Queen Anne.  He was a friend of Swift's, and the Scriblerus Club, of which he was one of the founding members, met in his home. ;

Reminisced as the founding member of the Scribleurs Club, Arbuthnot was primarily a physician and mathematician. He published many scientific works but became famous for his occasional satirical writings and being a comedian.;