John Locke, 1632-1704, physician and philosopher : a medical biography / with an edition of the medical notes in his journals.

  • Kenneth Dewhurst
Date:
1963
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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: John Locke, 1632-1704, physician and philosopher : a medical biography / with an edition of the medical notes in his journals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    serious abortion during the early months of her pregnancy, when Locke's careful management brought about her recovery, and gained her mother's gratitude. I acknowledg the favour of your letter, wrote Lady Rutland, 1 although an account most unwelcome, yet bless God, that since it was not sollid she was so soone freed of; I am sure I owe much to your care of my deare child. Six months later, another abortion was narrowly averted of which Locke gave this account: August 19th, 1670: Lady Dorothy Ashley, aged [Blank in MS.] years of sanguine temperament and rather phlethoric habit noticed on the morning of the 19th (being at the end of the 12th week after conception) a sudden swelling of the abdomen without any pain, sickness, or other bodily derangement. 20th: In the evening she felt a sudden and copious flow of liquid blood from the pudenda without any pain. The flow ceased of itself, but recurred to a slight extent from time to time. She was at once bled, and two hours afterwards passed, without pain, some thin membrane with some flesh-like substance or parenchyma adherent to it, apparently part of the secundines. During the night there was neither pain nor bleeding and no sinking of the breasts or abdomen. By the physician's advice 2 nothing was done, but everything left to nature till the 23 rd. No further bleeding having occurred, in order to strengthen the uterus and foetus, there was prescribed extracts of acorns eight ozs. to be taken twice a day. 3 When Locke informed Lady Rutland of these melancholy events she appealed to the Lord to preserve her and reward your com passionate cares for her, 4 which was granted on 12 February, 1670/1 with the birth of a son. Overjoyed at her daughter's safe delivery, Lady Rutland thanked her doctor. The Lords name be blest and praised for her well doeing [she wrote], 5 and safely bringing that noble familie so hopefull an heire, that early accosts ladies in bed and manages a weapon at 3 days olde to my wonder and joy. Her expectations were misplaced, as when Anthony Ashley Cooper grew up he wielded a pen more dextrously than a pistol. Locke was now moving in the fashionable milieu of Exeter House, and amongst Lord Ashley's friends and political associates who con tributed to his collection of medical recipes were Prince Rupert, the Duke of Albemarle, Sir A. Cope, and Sir Paul Neile who proposed him as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was elected in November 1 P.R.O., Shaftesbury Papers, 4/185, 31 Jan., 1669/70. * Probably Sydenham, who was an exponent of expectant treatment when meddle- some interference was more common. 3 Withington, Med. Mag., 7, 578. 4 P.R.O., Shaftesbury Papers, 4/190, 27 Aug., 1670. 6 Ibid ., 47/11, 7 March, 1671.
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