Anthony Forthergill was born in Westmorland and educated at Sedbergh School. He graduated from Edinburgh University in 1763 and settled in Northampton where he was appointed physician to the General Infirmary

In 1778 he was elected to the Royal Society. His sponsors included John Fothergill (no relation) and William Hunter. After a brief spell of practice in London, he moved to Bath, where he lived at 9 Walcot Parade

He published papers on a number of clinical topics, including epilepsy, influenza, and consumption. He was particularly interested in resuscitation and was involved with the Royal Humane Society, founded by William Hawes and Thomas Cogan in 1774

The society was concerned with the resuscitation of persons apparanently dead from drowning and in 1794 Fothergill won a gold medal for an essay on the subject. He also wrote on lead poisoning, rabies and the abuse of alochol

In 1803, aged 66, Fothergill gave up his practice in Bath and moved to Philadelphia. Much of the research work he carried out in America was never published, although the Philadelphia College of Physicians have a collection of his manuscripts in their library