Born on Dec 26th, 1785, at St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, the son of John Prior Estlin (1747-1817) and his second wife, who had been Miss Bishop. His father was the well-known Unitarian, friend of Coleridge, Southey, and Priestley, who kept a school in a large house at the top of St Michael’s Hill. In this school John Bishop Estlin was educated until he began his professional studies at Bristol Infirmary in 1804. He continued his studies at Guy’s Hospital and completed them at Edinburgh. He settled in practice at Bristol in 1808 and soon became interested in ophthalmology. In 1812 he established in Frogmore Street, Bristol, a dispensary for the treatment of diseases of the eye which he maintained for some time at his own expense. His reputation as an ophthalmic surgeon was soon established and he became well known throughout the West of England. He married in 1817 Margaret Bagehot, aunt of Walter Bagehot (1826-1877), the English economist and journalist: she died four years later, leaving an only daughter. His health failing, Estlin visited the island of St Vincent in 1832, where the warmer climate soon restored him. In 1838 he obtained and circulated a fresh supply of lymph from cows near Berkeley, in Gloucestershire, where Jenner had originally obtained the material for vaccination against small-pox. In 1845 he published his *Remarks on Mesmerism*, in which he gave a lucid exposition of the scientific method of investigating the phenomena said to be due to the hidden forces of nature. He was also a social reformer, dealing with temperance, the abolition of slavery, religious toleration, and the suppression of medical impostures. In religion he was a convinced Unitarian like his father, and wrote in favour of the Christian miracles and on Prayer and Divine Aid. He was always generous, but nevertheless grew rich and became, by force of upright character and professional skill, one of the most trusted men in Bristol. He died on June 10th, 1855, and was buried in the Lewins Mead burial ground, Bristol. There are monumental tablets to him and his wife in the adjoining meeting-house. PUBLICATIONS:— *Remarks on Mesmerism*, 1845. “Observations on Diseased Spine . . . Strictures on Baynton’s Treatise,” 8vo, Bristol, 1818; reprinted from *Edin Med and Surg Jour*, 1817, xiii, 341. Papers on “Amaurosis.” - *Edin Med and Surg Jour*, 1815, xi, 410. “Cases of Cysticercus Cellulosæ in the Eye.” - *Lond Med Gaz*, 1837-8, 839; and 1839-40, N.S. ii, 35. “One Hundred Cases of Operation for Strabismus.” - *Prov Med and Surg Jour*, 1842, iv, 303. “On Pretended Cure of Cataract by Prussic Acid.” - *Ibid*, 1842-3, v, 209. “An Address on Mesmerism.” - *Ibid*, 1843, vi, 303; and 1845, ix, 513.