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.

    90/130 (page 54)
    “ Chirurgion Maior ” that Matthias 1 speaks of him as “ primarius Chirurgus Castrensis,” although the other words “ per sex annos ” and “ apud Gallos” point not to this office but to his subsequent service under the French King. Douglas also calls him “ regi Galliarum Chirurgus primarius in castris per annos sex.” 2 3 We nowhere else find any allusion to his pre-eminence (primarius) in military service, when “ Chirurgian ordinarie ” to his French “ master ” in the wars. Medico-Chirurgus.—Another title—“ Medico-Chirurgus ”—occurs after Peter Lowe’s name in the Index Funereus (see p. 29 of this Memoir). The exact force of this term is not at first quite obvious, but apparently it refers to his course of preparatory study being different, in kind, from the training of the ordinary Barber Surgeons. We read of certain students passing from the Faculty of Arts and studying the elements of medicine for two years before pre- senting themselves to the Professors of Surgery, and the certificate bore the words, “ Medicinse-Chirurgicse Studiosum.” Only a few names are distinguished in the Index Funereus Chirurgomm Parisiensium as “ Medico-Chirurgus ” ; we have, however, Joannes le Gay, 1585, termed “ Medico-Chir.,” and Fran- ciscus Ramyre, 1604, “Medico Chirurgus,” both about Peter Lowe’s time.8 Dr. Meryon4 says :—“Some few intelligent men, unwilling to relinquish the resources which they possessed as surgeons, though qualified to be admitted to the faculty, preferred the treatment of external diseases to the more uncertain practice of physicians, combined medicine with surgery, thinking it no degrada- tion to use their hands, as well as their heads: and, in accordance with their profession, they were denominated Me'decin-Chirurgiens. In their section we find the names of Botal, Le Febvre, Rousset, Le Geay, D’Amboise, Petit, and Jean Pitard.” 1 Matthias : Conspectus Historic Medicorum Chronologicus, Gotting, 1761, p. 378. “Petrus Lowe, Glascuensis, Doctor Chirurgiae Parisinus, & per sex annos primarius Chirurgus Cas- trensis, apud Gallos, qui de universa arte Chirurgica Anglice scripsit.” 2Bibliographies Anatomica Specimen. Cura et Studio Jacobi Douglas. Londini, 1715, p. 170. 3 See Dec lurches critiques et historiques sur I'origine, sur les divers etats, et sur les progres de la ckirurgie en France. [F. Quesnay] Paris, 1744, p. 199, and foot note, p. 200 ; also Index Funereus, under the names quoted, pp. 547 & 551 ; in the “ Statuta Honorandae, Regiae et Salubris Chirurgicae Scholae,” quoted at p. 389, Le Gay is termed “ Doctor Medicus &. Chirurgus Parisiis Juratus.” 4 The History oj Medicine, vol. 1. London : 1861, p. 181 : compare also p. 259.