Account of the life and works of Maister Peter Lowe : the founder of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow / by James Finlayson.

  • James Finlayson
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Account of the life and works of Maister Peter Lowe : the founder of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow / by James Finlayson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    The following gives an account of the Royal touch for the King’s Evil. Scrophvloe.— .... This disease is called the Kings Evil, which is alleadged by Frenchmen to be cured by their King after this forme : the diseased first is viewed by the Chyrurgions, who findes it to bee the kirnells or Kings Evil, then the diseased is set on his knees, and presented to the King, who maketh a crosse on his forehead with his hand, saying : Le roy te touche, Dieu te garrie which is to say, the King doth touch thee, God make thee whole. [Lib. v. Cap. 39, p. 215.] The story of the opening of an aneurysm by an ignorant barber, after its true nature had been recognized and announced by Peter Lowe and one of his colleagues, affords a fine opportunity for our author’s sarcasm as directed against such “ ignorants.” The story is told in a very effective manner. Incidentally the influence of syphilis in favouring the occurrence of aneurysmal disease is alluded to. There are also some points of interest in connection with the names and dates. Aneusrisma.— .... Those which are superficiall in the exterior parts, as the head, legs, and armes, may be knit, and are curable : those which are profound and interior, in the breast, as often happeneth to those who sweat excessiuely of the venerian sicknesse, and othenvise : also those in the necke vnder the armes and rootes of the thighes, and when there is great dilataion of the artiers, are not curable, but death ensueth within few dayes, or at the least are very perillous, as saith Paulus: and if the tumor be opened, the patient dyeth presently. This happeneth oftentimes by the vnskilfulnes of ignorant Barbors and other abusers, who meddle with this art, who ruine a number of people through their ignorance, as I haue often seene ; such ignorants doe esteeme all tumors that are soft, should bee opened as common Aposthumes. I remember in Paris in Anno 1590. there happened such a disease to a valiaunt Captaine (my great friend Captaine Bayle, who was one of the chiefest Captaines amongst the Spaniards at Paris) on the right side of his cragge, for the which, I a Chyrurgion Maior1 to the regiment, was sent for, and found it to bee an Aneusrisme, so not to bee touched ; of the which opinion was my good friend Andrew Scot,2 who was a great Practicioner at Paris for ye time, and wel exercised in the art of Chyrurgery, we did ordaine remedies to let the encrease of it, which receipt being sent to the Apothecary, who before had seene the sayd Captaine, did thinke it no meete medicine for an Aposthume (as he tearmed it;) so presently he sent for an 1 In first Edition, “ Chirurgian ordinarie.” 2In first Edition, Lib. v. Cap. 14, “of which opinio was also my companyon Andrew Scot a man verye expert in his art who was at that time in great practise at Paris, and now Chirurgia to the King of Scotland. ”