Dr. Sylvester Rattray, author of the treatise on sympathy and antipathy, Glasgow, 1658 / by James Finlayson.

  • Finlayson, James, 1840-1906.
Date:
[1900]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. Sylvester Rattray, author of the treatise on sympathy and antipathy, Glasgow, 1658 / by James Finlayson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    (3 “the marriage feast stood in Ouper of Fyfe, at her father’s house “there”. (Lamont's Diary, p. 42, Edinburgh, 1830.) The dates given look as if they must all refer to the same person; 1641 1644 1652 1657 1658 Andrews may Entered St. Salvator’s College, St. Andrews Graduated as Master of Arts, St. Andrews Married, (when “a doctor of physicke”) In practice in Glasgow as a Physician. “Aditus novus” published in Glasgow . The period following his graduation in Arts at St. have been partly spent at some of the continental Universities, where many of his fellow countrymen studied medicine, graduating there before their return to Scotland, but the place of his study and graduation in medicine, have not yet been ascertained. It is probable also that immediately before his appearance ill Glasgow, he may have been resident in Edinburgh. The name of Sylvester Rattray appears in a list of doctors of medicine who were agitating for the establishment of a College of Physicians in Edinburgh. This College was actually established in 1681; but there was an attempt in this direction, which was almost successful, in Cromwell’s time. The date of this movement was 1656 and it was dropped the following year, on account of serious opposition from various other bodies; owing to Cromwell’s death, in 1658, this movement lapsed completely. ]) Sylvester Rattray’s name appears in this list of doctors, (Analecta Scotica, II, pp. 127, 129); unfortunately, no date is there given; but from his association with others known to be then active, we can identify the movement with that of Cromwell’s time. 2) Rattray must have been working at his treatise on Sympathy and Antipathy before he went to Glasgow, as the dedication is dated February 1658, a few months after he was interviewed by the Glasgow Faculty. In May of the same year (1658) and about the time of the publication of his treatise, we find Sylvester Rattray’s name as one of the physicians consulted by Principal Baillie of Glasgow University regarding the fatal illness of his son; but there are no medical details given. (Baillie s Letters, III, p. 373.) *) Sec A. Duncan’s Memorials of the Faculty of Physic tans Surgeons, Glasgow, 1896, pp. 69, 70; and R. Peel Ritchie’s Early days of the Royal Colledge of Phisitians, Edin~ burgh. Edinburgh, 1899, pp. 46—48. a) Amongst the names associated with Sylvester Rattray is that of Dr. Purves who seems to have been the leading spirit in the unsuccessful attempt in 1656. (See Dr. John Gairdner’s Sketch of the Early History of the Medical Profession in Edinburgh. Edinburgh, 1864, p. 21, foot note.) This fixes the date.