336 Nug<B ChirurgiccB, Sfc, 



present century. The second consists of comments, or short 

 essays, illustrative of some of the most important facts ; and 

 the third of biographical anecdotes. 



Under the head of ^' Medical Books, ^^ we are presented 

 with curious specimens of our earliest writers, with com- 

 ments ; but let the author speak for himself. 



*' One of the first of our English writers, is John of Gaddesden, 

 whose * Rosa Anglica,' was greatly esteemed, and he is favourably 

 mentioned by Chaucer. John was a man to whom nothing came 

 amiss ; he had an anodyne necklace for fits, and an infallible 

 cataplasm for gout ; he was a dexterous bone-setter, and a good 

 dentist. He was very assiduous in inventing lotions for ladies' 

 complexions ; and was complaisant enough to cut their corns ; 

 and as for those troublesome animalcules, which, in those days, 

 used to infest gentlemen's heads, he had a most effectual method 

 of destroying them ; and in his celebrated book, he favours us 

 with a whimsical cure for small-pox. — ' Immediately after the 

 eruption, cause the whole body of your patient to be wrapped in 

 red scarlet cloth, or in any other red cloth, and command every- 

 thing about the bed to be made red. This is an excellent cure. 

 It was in this manner I treated the son of the noble King of Eng- 

 land, when he had the small-pox ; and I cured him, without 

 leaving any marks.' 



*' Such was our countryman, John of Gaddesden, who deserves 

 notice, moreover, as being the first English surgeon employed at 

 court ; and that the King (Edward III.) wrote a letter to the 

 Pope in favour of him." 



Speaking of Ardern's manuscripts, he observes — 



" These manuscripts, though they are more ludicrous than lumin- 

 ous, are extremely well worth the attention of the surgical antiquarjs 

 from the numerous illustrations they contain of the mode and 

 manner in which Ardern performed his operations ; which, con- 

 sidering that he was an improver of surgery, gives us a glorious 

 notion of what the art was previously to John's refinements, or 

 those of Roger Franks, whom he mentions with great praise." 



" ANATOMICAL LECTURES. 



" When Dr. Hunter began his anatomical lectures, they were 

 given in the evening — but as he lived at the period when Garrick 

 was in his zenith, he soon discovered that he stood no chance with 

 the actor, for whenever Garrick lectured, the anatomical lectures 

 were neglected. In vain did the Doctor preach to the pupils on 

 the immorality of attending theatres, and the impropriety of ne- 

 glecting him ; it was of no avail ; Romeo's apothecary and Dr. Last 

 were the only medical characters to spend the evening with, and 

 for the rest, they thought Macbeth sufficient authority, to ' throw 

 physic to the dogs.* 



