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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XL 



Since 1544 there had existed at Haarlem a surgeon's guild, consist- 

 ing of a dean, two vinders,* two oudvinders, and a town doctor, who 

 however examined only in theory and not in practice, for the doctors 

 of the College despised the surgeons and were of little help to them 

 in the service. When Schouten was elected to the office of vinder, he 

 saw how inefficient the experimenters were, and endeavoured to 

 improve this by thorough instruction in the science ; and considered 

 it his duty, as a proof, to make known a small portion of his profes- 

 sional experience during his service amid the clash of arms, and later 

 as surgeon and practitioner at Haarlem. 



In 1694 he published Het geivond Jwoft of korte verhandeling van de 

 opperhooftwonden en bekkeneelsbreuken : en van de wonden des aangezigts 

 en der hals, which was reprinted at Rotterdam in 1720. 



He was very fond of his profession, and placed it far above internal 

 medical treatment, which was often, as regards internal disorders, 

 uncertain, obscure, and doubtful, whereby many differences of opinion 

 took place. As a rough and frank seaman he combated the opinions 

 of Blankaart, Bontekoe, Overkamp, and Van der Sterre. He deplored 

 the fact that people despised the old writers, and tried to make 

 palatable all sorts of strange propositions and doctrines in a multitude 

 of books. 



Another work dedicated by him to his nephew, Kuysch, remained 

 for some time after his death in the possession of his widow, and was 

 printed in 1727 at Rotterdam, entitled Verhandeling van de tegen- 

 natuurlijke gezwellen, op reden en ondervinding door een vijfiigjarige 

 kunstoefening bevestigd. 



Schouten also cultivated Dutch poetry, as evidenced by his poem 

 published at Amsterdam in 1700 and entitled God verheerlijkt in zijne 

 Heerlijkheid, Regtvmrdigheid, Barmhartigheid en onuitsprekkelijke 

 liefde, tot troost der Heeligen en de opengeving van de goddelijke waarheid, 

 digtkundig veerklaard. 



He died in 1704. 



From Schouten's own narrative we learn that in 1658 he 

 entered into a three years' engagement with the Dutch East 

 India Company, to serve as a surgeon in the East ; and that 

 he sailed with the fleet from Holland on 16th April of that 

 year, arriving at Batavia on 15th October, In July, 1661, he 

 engaged for another term of three years' service under the 

 Company ; and shortly after this he paid his first visit to 

 Ceylon. On 24th December, 1664, Schouten sailed from 

 Batavia for his native land, which he did not reach until 

 8th October, 1665, the vessel on board which he was having 

 been obliged with others to take refuge from the English 

 fleet in Bergen harbour (in Norway), where a fierce 

 engagement took place, the English being ultimately 

 compelled to retire. 



The first edition of Schouten's travels was published 



* Vinder is said in Sewel's Dutch-English Dictionary to be equivalent 

 to beurmeester, and is explained as " an officer that looks to slaughtered 

 cattle whether it be souud." Perhaps, " sanitary officer" or " inspector ' r 

 would represent the meaning. 



