Life

Shaw was the son of Robert Shaw, A.M., master of the grammar school

Grammar school

A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...

 at Lichfield

Lichfield

Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...

. After passing some years of professional life at Scarborough, he was practising physic in London in 1726, apparently without a degree or the licence of the Royal College of Physicians

Royal College of Physicians

The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...

, but did not permanently settle there until some years later.

On 25 June 1740 he was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians, being then a doctor of medicine, but of what university is not recorded. In London he attained popularity as a physician. He was patronised by Sir Edward Hulse, one of the court physicians, at that point gradually withdrawing from practice. He was admitted a candidate at the College of Physicians on 16 April 1753, and was made a fellow on 8 April of the following year.

In 1752 he was appointed physician-extraordinary to George II, and the same year was created doctor of medicine at Cambridge by royal mandate. Two years later he was promoted to be physician-in-ordinary to the king, and he was the usual medical attendant on George II in his journeys to Hanover

Hanover

Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...

. He was nominated to the same office on the accession of George III. He died on 15 March 1763, aged 69 years, and was buried in the nave of Wimbledon

Wimbledon, London

Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...

 church, where there was an inscription to his memory.

Works

He contributed to the study of chemistry in England by his translations of the works of Georg Ernst Stahl

Georg Ernst Stahl

Georg Ernst Stahl was a German chemist and physician.He was born at Ansbach. Having graduated in medicine at the University of Jena in 1683, he became court physician to Duke Johann Ernst of Sachsen Weimar in 1687...

 and Herman Boerhaave

Herman Boerhaave

Herman Boerhaave was a Dutch botanist, humanist and physician of European fame. He is regarded as the founder of clinical teaching and of the modern academic hospital. His main achievement was to demonstrate the relation of symptoms to lesions...

, as well as his own writings and lectures. Shaw was prolific if careless. He was editor of the works of Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...

 and Robert Boyle

Robert Boyle

Robert Boyle FRS was a 17th century natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, also noted for his writings in theology. He has been variously described as English, Irish, or Anglo-Irish, his father having come to Ireland from England during the time of the English plantations of...

.

Shaw's translations or adaptations included:

• The Dispensatory of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, from the Latin, London, 1727.
• A New Method of Chemistry, including the Theory and Practice of the Art, a translation of Boerhaave's "Institutiones Chemiæ, London, 1727.
• Philosophical Principles of Universal Chemistry, from the Collegium Jenense of G. E. Stahl, London, 1730.
• New Experiments and Observations upon Mineral Waters, by Dr. F. Hoffman, extracted from his works, with notes, &c.
• Pharmacopœia Edinburgensis, translated 1746–8.
• Novum Organum Scientiarum (Bacon), translated 1802, (another edition 1818).

His original publications were:

• The Dispensatory of the Royal College of Physicians, London, 1721.
• A Treatise of Incurable Diseases, London, 1723.
• Prælectiones Pharmaceuticæ, or a course of lectures in pharmacy, 1723.
• The Juice of the Grape, or Wine preferable to Water, 1724.
• A New Practice of Physic, 8vo, London, 1726; 2nd edit. 1728; the 7th edit. appeared in 1753.
• Three Essays in Artificial Philosophy, or Universal Chemistry, London, 1731.
• An Essay for introducing a Portable Laboratory, by means whereof all the Chemical Operations are commodiously performed for the purposes of Philosophy, Medicinal Metalurgy, and Family; with sculptures, London, 1731 (in conjunction with Francis Hauksbee
  Francis Hauksbee
  Francis Hauksbee the elder , also known as Francis Hawksbee, was an 18th-century English scientist, and a Fellow of the Royal Society...
  
  ).
• Chemical Lectures read in London in 1731 and 1732, and at Scarborough in 1733, for the Improvement of Arts, Trades, and Natural Philosophy, London, 1734.
• An Inquiry into the Contents and Virtues of the Scarborough Spa, London, 1734.
• Examination of the Reasons for and against the Subscription for a Medicament for the Stone, London, 1738.
• Inquiries on the Nature of Miss Stephens's Medicaments, London, 1738.
• Essays for the Improvement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, by means of Chemistry, London, 1761.
• Proposals for a Course of Chemical Experiments, with a view to Practical Philosophy, Arts, Trade, and Business, London, 1761 (with Francis Hauksbee).

Family

He married Frances, daughter of John Hyde of Quorndon in Leicestershire

Leicestershire

Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...

. His daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Dr. Richard Warren, who commended his father-in-law's services to literature and science in his Harveian Oration

Harveian Oration

The Harveian Oration is a yearly lecture held at the Royal College of Physicians of London. It was instituted in 1656 by William Harvey, discoverer of the systemic circulation. Harvey made financial provision for the college to hold an annual feast on St...

for 1768.