David Arnot (physician)

David Arnot (died 1645) was a Scottish physician based in Edinburgh.
Arnot had a practice among the Scottish aristocracy and travelled to consult with patients including , Mary Sutton, Countess of Home (died 1644), Jean Gordon, Countess of Haddington, Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll and Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, John Campbell, 3rd of Cawdor, and James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.
In June 1612 the Privy Council asked him to visit Isobel Montgomerie. It was alleged that she was old and infirm, and unable to travel. Her sister Margaret Montgomerie and Hugh Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell of Loudoun were said to have detained her and coerced her into making over a property to them.
In March 1619 he stayed a week with the Earl of Roxburghe at Broxmouth near Dunbar. In January 1621/2 he treated Harry Drummond, the young son of John Drummond, 2nd Earl of Perth, advising that he should not have water baths. Harry's health appeared to be improving, but he died in September.
Arnot and three other doctors put their names forward to be elders of the Kirk Session of Edinburgh in December 1621 but their appointments were blocked by the Provost, David Aikinhead. Arnot donated money to the town council for "pious use".
Arnot was called in to treat the young Earl of Montrose while he was a student at the University of St Andrews in 1628. At first his tutor sent for Dr Maal from Dundee. Maal brought in Arnot, whose fees and expenses were significantly greater. Their cure included prescribing playing chess and cards, and a diet of sea food, supplimented with moor fowls.
He visited the four-year old Earl of Argyll at Taymouth Castle in August 1633, and at Rosse in 1636. The child had the "gravel" an illness of the kidneys. His prescriptions for the Laird of Cawdor in 1638 were made up by an Edinburgh apothecary, Patrick Hepburn, and sent north to Cawdor Castle.
Arnot died in November 1645. He had no children and left his property to his nephews, Andrew and David Bruce.
Pregnancy and eagle stones
17th-century women used "eagle stones", a kind of geode, for their alleged medicinal benefits during pregnancy. The stones were thought to avert miscarriages.
Arnot advised pregnant women and gave them talismans. One of his patients, Anna Balfour, Lady Elcho, the wife of David Wemyss, Lord Elcho and Earl of Wemyss, mentioned Dr Arnot in her will in June 1649. She wanted her son John Wemyss to have "the bloodstone and the bloodstone bracelet, with Doctor Arnot's stone that is for women in travaill". She listed tokens to be given to her dear friends, including, for her daughter Jean Wemyss, Countess of Angus, her "toadstone ring, with my leather belt I got from Doctor Arnot".

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