Sir James Clark (1788–1870) served as a naval surgeon during the Napoleonic wars. He travelled to Canada, America, Europe and the West Indies, settling in London in 1826. He was interested in the importance of climate and mineral waters in the treatment of disease, and in 1829 published his most important work, 'The Influence of Climate in the Prevention and Cure of Chronic Diseases, more particularly of the Chest and Digestive Organs'. Clark was famous for the care he took in his prescriptions, masking the nauseous taste of drugs for his patients. He also attended the poet John Keats during the last four months of his terminal illness. In 1835 Clark was appointed to the position of physician-in-ordinary by the Duchess of Kent, which placed the young Queen Victoria in his care.