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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    I The next notice of Sjlvester Rattray in Glasgow is the issue of another book, in duodecimo form, published and printed there in 1666. In the list of errata it is intimated that the author was absent from Glasgow at the time of printing, The title runs:— Prognosis / Medica, / ad usum praxeos facili / methodo digesta. / A Syl- vestro Rattrreo, Med. / Doct. Glasguensi Scoto. / Nullum est prseceptum adeo inviolabile, ut / limitationem non admittat. / Glasgqae, / Excudebat Robertas Sanders, / Typograpkus Urbis. / M.DC.LXVI. [pp. 10 not numbered, pp. 247]. This work is dedicated to Sir John Wedderburn: Clarissimo / Ac Excellentissimo Yiro, / D. Joanni / Wedderburno, / Medico Regio Equiti / Aurato, / Syl. Ratt. M.D. S.P.D. This treatise on Prognosis professes to be chiefly for “tirones”, or as an aid to the memory of those whom he terms “provectiores”. Referring to the celebrated Hippocratic treatise on Prognostics, he apologises for appearing “Iliada post Homerum contexere”. The treatise is, as it professes to be, a compendium or bringing together of the dicta of ancient authors on Prognosis, with the addition of some of the more recent views also. Under such headings as The Urine and The Tongue, recent views are adduced more fully; but he specially claims to have drawn fully “ex limpidissimo Hippo- cratico fonte”. Although writing at the very time when Harvey’s great discoveries were changing the most fundamental notions in o o o medicine he boldly claims that these leave the basis of prognostics unaffected (p. 230]; and it must be confessed that this may often be the case. In the Dictionary of National Biography, under the entry “Syl- vester Rattray”, it is stated that “on the title-page of the second book [Prognosis] he is credited with a theological degree as well as with that of M.D.” This is a mistake, as will be seen on looking at the full cojjy of title page given above, where no such thing appears. Possibly “S.P.D/’ (Salutem Plurimam Dicit), in the Dedi- cation, may have been misread as meaning Sanctae Theologiae Professor (or Doctor), the letters S.T.P. (or S.T.D.) being frequently used as a contraction for this title. In the same article, it is stated that “the Sylvester under notice graduated in medicine at Glasgow University”; this, also, is a mistake; his name does not appear in the Mnnimenta of the University; the letters M.D. on title page being followed by “Glasguensi Scoto”, may have misled the author of the article; these words indicate his place of residence not the place of graduation.