History of Medicine in the City of London

[From Fabricios ab Aquapendente: Opere chirurgiche. Padova, 1684] ANNALS OF MEDICAL HISTORY Third Series, Volume III January, 1941 Number 1 HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN THE CITY OF LONDON By SIR HUMPHRY ROLLESTON, BT., G.C.V.O., K.C.B. HASLEMERE, ENGLAND HET “City” of London who analysed Bald’s “Leech Book” (ca. (Llyn-din = town on 890), the oldest medical work in Eng the lake) lies on the lish and the textbook of Anglo-Saxon north bank of the leeches; the most bulky of the Anglo- I h a m e s a n d Saxon leechdoms is the “Herbarium” stretches north to of that mysterious personality (pseudo-) Finsbury, and east Apuleius Platonicus, who must not be to west from the confused with Lucius Apuleius of Ma- l ower to Temple Bar. The “city” is daura (ca. a.d. 125), the author of “The now one of the smallest of the twenty- Golden Ass.” Payne deprecated the un nine municipal divisions of the admin due and, relative to the state of opin istrative County of London, and is a ion in other countries, exaggerated County corporate, whereas the other references to the imperfections (super twenty-eight divisions are metropolitan stitions, magic, exorcisms, charms) of boroughs. Measuring 678 acres, it is Anglo-Saxon medicine, as judged by therefore a much restricted part of the present-day standards, and pointed out present greater London, but its medical that the Anglo-Saxons were long in ad history is long and of special interest. vance of other Western nations in the Of Saxon medicine in England there attempt to construct a medical litera is not any evidence before the intro ture in their own language. The Anglo- duction of Latin Christianity by Augus Saxon leeches were not necessarily ec tine in 597 (Payne); but on Anglo-Saxon clesiastics, as at a somewhat later date medical books light has been thrown physicians so often were. As another by T. (). Cockayne in his “Leechdoms, high authority, Sir D’Arcy Power, con Wortcunning, and Starcraft” (1864), cluded, little is known about actual and in 1904 by J. F. Payne (1840-1910) medical practice before the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Norman period sions of those practicing medicine, the did not bring about any immediate evolution of which will now be briefly suppression of old English medicine, traced: but introduced the influence of the medical schools of Salerno and later of I. Barbers and Apothecaries Montpellier. Those corresponding to modern gen In the thirteenth century those prac eral practitioners, though spoken of as ticing medicine are now rather shadowy leeches (Anglo-Saxon laece = healer) personalities from confusion with and later apothecaries, included: others of the same or much the same (a) The Barbers (those who shave the name; for example there appear to beard), originally a religious guild which have been two contemporary Johns of came into being in 1308. They had a St. Giles. This is shown by Russell’s recognized status and so were not irreg article on medical writers of thirteenth ular practitioners, empirics, or quacks. century England. They were often The Barbers received their charter as a clerics and resident away from the City City Company on February 24, 1461-2, of London. and were described as the “Freemen of the Mistery of Barbers of the City of Among the prominent British-born London Using the Mistery or Faculty medical authors in this century some were much abroad, especially at Montpellier, of Surgery.” Thus the word mistery the adjective “anglicus” signifying not (from the middle English mistere = a only that they were Englishmen but were craft) is quite different from mystery well known or lived abroad. Gilbertus (Latin mysterium = something con Anglicus (?i 180-1230) practiced at Mont cealed or obscure); there has been some pellier, and expressed a poor opinion of confusion between them: the “mystery charms and other similar methods. Gil plays” were so called because they were bert was a common name, especially acted by members of a craft. The Bar among bishops, and the Gilbert described bers were a close body, being largely on as Chancellor of Montpellier was some hereditary lines; they took and taught one else (Payne). Bernard of Gordon cer apprentices, and were of two categories: tainly taught medicine from about 1285 the subordinate grade was mainly en to 1307 at Montpellier, when there were at least two physicians called Ricardus gaged in barbery, the administration of Anglicus or Richard of Wendover, the enemas, extraction of teeth, minor sur senior, also called Ricardus Salernitanus, gery, and bleeding, though they were was the teacher of Gilbert; and the junior not allowed to advertise this by expos (d. 1252), physician at Montpellier and to ing a cupful of blood in the window. Pope Gregory IX (1142-1241), later be The other grade aspired to surgical came a canon of St. Paul’s when he might practice. This division was accentuated have taken part in the medical practice after 1540 when the Barbers Company at the near-by St. Bartholomew’s hos united with the small Fellowship of Sur pital; he must be distinguished from an geons (there were then twelve members other Richard of Wendover (d. 1250), only) to form the Barber-Surgeons Com Bishop of Rochester, and from Ricardus pany. The subordinate group, now Anglicus (fl. 1196-1226), a famous jurist of more strictly controlled in their prac Bologna. tice, corresponded to “the gentlemen In the fourteenth century there were of the short robe” in the College of St. in the City of London three main divi Come in Paris, founded by the Sur geons early in the fourteenth century; the City companies, after the Societa the surgeons in the Barber-Surgeons scientifica of Naples founded in 1540. Company were in the same position as The new charter restrained the Grocers the “gentlemen of the long robe” of and other City companies from the sale the Paris college. The long and short of drugs in, and within a radius of seven robes were imitations of the graduate miles of, the City of London, and con and undergraduate gowns of univer ferred on the Society the power of sities. search, seizure, and destruction over the (b) The Apothecaries, literally those contents of apothecaries’ shops. James I in charge of a storehouse (a.7ro0r]KT], aivo felt strongly that steps, which appar = away, = place; low Latin ently the Grocers had neglected, should apotheca) for various non-perishable be taken to prevent the activities of commodities, drugs as well as spices “very many empiricks and unskilful and other groceries. These apothecaries and ignorant men” in spite of regula belonged to the guild of Spicers of tions to the contrary. The Society Cheap Ward in the City, which on St. bought its present site inside the City Anthony’s day (May 9), 1345. united walls, and after the destruction of its with the Pepperers, “the good folks Hall in the Great Fire of London, the of Soper Lane,” the members of present Hall was built there. both being chiefly foreigners, to form The Act of 1511 (3 Henry VI11, cap. the Fraternity of St. Anthony “to the iii) made it unlawful for any one to honour of God, the Virgin Mary, St. practice medicine or surgery in, and for Anthony and All Saints”; eventually, seven miles around, London without in 1373, this Fraternity was merged in having first been examined and ap the Grocers Company which received proved by four doctors of medicine or the parent charter on February 16, surgeons acting under the Bishop of 1428-9. From 1386 the Grocers had London or the Dean of St. Paul’s; out been entrusted with the inspection of side the seven mile area similar arrange shops where drugs were sold, and on ments were enforced under the bishop April 9, 1606, the Grocers''-' Company of the diocese or his vicar general. The and the Apothecaries were united by original charter of the Royal College charter into one company as “the Free of Physicians of London in 1518 and men of the Mistery of the Grocers and the modified charter in 1522 (14-15 Apothecaries of the City of London.” Henry VIII, cap. v) were on much the This union, however, was short-lived; same lines, an exception being made in for, in spite of opposition by the Gro favor of graduates of Oxford and Cam cers, James I of England, petitioned by bridge resident outside London and Gideon Delaune (?i 565-1659), who has the seven mile area. therefore been regarded as the founder The apothecaries early began to treat of the Society (Wall, 1932), and forti patients; for example, in 1345 Coursus fied by the advice of his physicians— de Gangeland, a London apothecary, Henry Atkins (1558-1635), president of was granted a pension of sixpence a day the Royal College of Physicians, and Sir for attendance on Edward III during Theodore Turquet de Mayerne (1573- his illness in Scotland, and Gideon Dc- 1655)—granted on December 6, 1617, laune was apothecary to Anne of Den a separate charter to the Apothecaries mark, the wife of James I; the Court with the name Society, unique among appointments of Apothecary still re- main. The long quarrel between the caries, butchers, cookes, and coffin members of the Society of Apothecaries makers,” probably applied with even who practiced medicine and the Royal more force in 1665. College of Physicians extended over Among the apothecaries and physicians most of the seventeenth century, reach who rendered good service during the ing its acme at the end of the century plague and deserved reward, was Francis as was immortalized in the mock heroic Bernard (1627-1698); he was apothecary poem of the “Dispensary” (1699) by to St.

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