Dr. Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689): his life and original writings / [edited by] Kenneth Dewhurst.

  • Thomas Sydenham
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Dr. Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689): his life and original writings / [edited by] Kenneth Dewhurst. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Although Greatraks failed to relieve her intractable headaches, 1 his fame had already reached London whither he was summoned by royal command. There he treated Sir John Denham, the poet, who went stark mad soon after being stroked, occasioned (as is said by some) by the rough striking of Greatrakes upon his limbs; for they said that formerly having taken the fluxing pills in Holland, and they not working, they rubbed his shins with mercury ... it loadged in the nerves till the harsh strokes caused it to sublimate. 2 His ministra tions did, however, meet with dramatic success at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. The virtuosi have been daily with me since I writ to your Honor last [he wrote to Lord Conway], 3 and have given me large and full testimonials, and God has been pleased to do wonderful things in their sight, so that they are my hearty and good friends, and have stopt the mouths of the Court, where the sober party are now most of them believers and my champions. The Kings doctors this day (for the confirmation of their Majesties belief) sent three out of the hospital to me, who came on crutches and blessed be God, they all went home well, to the admiration of all people as well as the doctors. Sydenham, who had witnessed these cures, immediately urged Oldenburg to communicate his enthusiasm to Boyle. The latter remained unimpressed. I finde, Sir, by your silence, that you are not satisfied with the testimonials hitherto given of the Irish healer, wrote Oldenburg. Dr. Beale and Dr. Sydenham jump in a full assurance of the truth of the thing, and the latter of them saith, that for all he brought as much prejudice against it as any man could, yet now he hath no more reason to doubt it, than to doubt whether he is a man, or some other animal. 4 Dr. Beale then enclosed two accounts of the cures, one written by Sydenham, who promiseth to overwhelm us with clear evidence of such wonders, as would be incredible, if not so well confirmed. 5 After the Plague came the Great Fire of London, and in the aftermath of its devastation Sydenham's further activities are reflected in the correspondence between Boyle and his sister, Lady Ranelagh, who had been Sydenham's neighbour since 1662. Through her brother's acquaintance with Benjamin Worsley, 6 an official of the Council of Trade, she became the intermediary in a series of involved negotiations 1 Probably due to migraine. ' Conway Letters (1930), ed. M. H. Nicolson, p. 252. 3 Ibid., p. 272, 12 April, 1666. 4 Robert Boyle, op. cit., vol. VI, p. 195, 18 September, 1665. 5 Ibid., p. 390, 7 September, 1665. 6 An outline of Worsley's chequered career is to be found in Notes and Queries (1943), 185, 123.