314 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 15,187CT. 
f ramJrhtgs of JkwnMc Satictios. 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
Meeting at Liverpool. 
Wednesday , September Hth. 
A Century op Old Boors. 
BY JOSEPH INCE. 
[Concluded from page 298.) 
The late Dr. Pereira's note-book on Cardamoms. 
Interesting as showing with what labour and patience 
the author sought for and noted information relative to 
any particular subject on which he was at work. 
Christiani Francisci Paullini Moax oKa P v °yp a( P ia seu Nucis 
Moschatce Curiosa description historico-medico-physica. 
Francofurti et Lipsice , 1704. 8°. 
A curiosity of prolixity, the whole work of 876 pages 
being devoted to a discussion on Nutmegs. 
Herbarius Patavice, printed at Padua in 1485. 
It consists of an alphabetical catalogue of medicinal 
plants, a rude representation of which heads each chapter. 
The name of each plant is given in .German as well as in 
Latin. 
Otho Brunfels.—Herbarum Vivce Ficones ad natures imita- 
tionem , summd cum diligentid et artificio effigiatce una cum 
effectibus earundem * * * Argentorati , 1530. fol. 
Brunfels, a native of Mentz, was a theologian and 
physician occupying in the latter capacity the post of 
poliater or chief medical officer of the city of Bern. In 
this office he died a.d. 1534. Of his numerous works 
that of wdiich the title is here given is remarkable for its 
excellent woodcuts, which have indubitably, as the author 
asserts, been made from the very plants and not drawn 
from memory or imagination. In this respect they pre¬ 
sent a most striking contrast to the figures in other 
works of the period, as well as in many of those of a 
much later date. 
It is much to be regretted that the time was too limited 
to examine these specimens of ancient pharmacy in de¬ 
tail. Pharmacopoeias of various date and type, abounded. 
Quaint tractates, such as The Garden of Health (1649.) 
Boyle’s Noctiluca (1680). Conclave of Physicians (1686) 
Pharmacopoeia Reformata (1744) Holt Waters (1731) 
Yal. Cordi Dispensatorium (1690). Speculum Lapidum 
Camilli Leonardi (1502) Secrets of Alexis (1568) and 
about forty similar productions were not wanting. 
Some Latin Books were worthy of special commenda¬ 
tion, amongst which may be mentioned Valerius Cordus, 
a small but most interesting volume. Mr. Haselden un¬ 
dertook several, and also contributed a notice of the cele¬ 
brated Dr. Radcliffe, part of which we subjoin. 
Dr. Padcliffe's Practical Dispensatory. 
A portrait of the doctor, wearing a long, flowing, 
curling wig, after the fashion of the period, adorns the 
frontispiece, under which is written, “ Johannes Rad¬ 
cliffe, M.D. Ob. Nov. 1, 1714. jEtat. 64. Printed for 
Charles Rivington, in St. Paul’s Churchyard. 
Before we examine the contents of the book, let us in¬ 
dulge in a brief account of this once celebrated doctor. 
He was bom at Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1650, near 
which place his father was possessed of a moderate estate, 
who having a numerous family, did not think it prudent 
on account of the expense, to breed his children to letters, 
but at the prompting of his neighbours was induced at 
length to send this son to a school at Wakefield. Hav¬ 
ing shown great aptitude in learning he was removed at 
fifteen to Oxford, and entered at University College, 
1665. In 1669 he took his first degree, and was chosen 
Senior Scholar of this college. In June, 1672, he took 
his degree of M.A., and in 1675, Bachelor of Physic. 
After this he practised in Oxford until 1684, when he 
came and settled in London.* In the autumn of 1689, 
* From the Universal Magazine for July, 1760. 
when he resided in Bow Street, Covent Garden, an ur¬ 
gent message reached him rather late in the day. Hur¬ 
rying into his carriage, he hastened with all speed to 
Kensington House, then the palace of his Majesty King 
William the Third. He was ushered into the sick 
chamber of the king, who had been some time unwell. 
“Doctor,” said the king, “ Bentinck (Earl of Portland) 
and Zuleistein (Earl of Rochford) have been urgent with 
me that I should again send for you ; and though I have' 
great confidence in my two body physicians here, yet I 
have heard so much of your skill, that I desire you will 
confer with Bidloo and Laurence [the medical attendants], 
whether some other plan might not be adopted.” “ May 
it please your Majesty,” said Dr. Radcliffe, “I must be 
plain with you, sir. Your case is one of danger, no 
doubt, but if you will adhere to my prescriptions I will 
engage to do you good.” The consultation between the 
professionals was short, the treatment altered, and the 
royal patient was soon restored, and a few months after¬ 
wards, he fought the battle of the Boyne. 
The doctor was a great frequenter of taverns and 
clubs, where the choicest spirits of the day were wont to 
assemble. He was at one time engaged to be married 
to the daughter of a wealthy citizen, but a discovery 
which he seemingly made during his courtship, and which 
did not redound to the lady’s credit, caused him to break 
the engagement, although a source of regret at the time ; 
but in his plain peculiar way he infers that the lady, 
however a very deserving gentlewoman, is not fit to be 
his wife, as she is, or ought to be, another man’s already. 
His practice was very large, and increased daily. He 
had considerable humour, and once when sent for to a 
gentleman suffering from quinsy, for which no applica¬ 
tion had been of service, he desired the lady of the house 
to have a hasty pudding prepared, and when done his 
own servants brought it up. It was placed on the table 
in full view of the patient. “ Come, Jack and Dick,” 
said Radcliffe, “ eat as quickly as possible; you have 
had no breakfast this morning.” Previously instructed, 
they commenced a fierce attack upon the pudding; but 
one dipping faster than the other, a quarrel arose, ending 
in the pudding being pelted at each other. The patient 
was seized with a hearty fit of laughter, the quinsy 
burst, .discharged its contents, and the cure was thus 
speedily effected. He always spoke confidently, and 
thus inspired hope and faith in his patients. When in 
his sixtieth year he was once more in love with a very 
young lady, but was unfortunate and rejected, and so 
remained single for the rest of his life. Speaking of 
himself in the latter part of his days, he says, “ By fol¬ 
lowing the dictates of common sense, while I practised 
at Oxford, after taking my degree of Bachelor of Medi¬ 
cine, instead of stoving up my patients who were ill of 
the small-pox, I gave them air and cooling emulsions, 
and thus rescued more than a hundred from the grave.” 
He always discountenanced quacks and intermeddlers, 
as he styled them. 
He realized by his practice a princely fortune, and is 
now more particularly remembered by the way in which, 
looking upon Oxford, his Alma Mater, he bequeathed 
property. He left his Yorkshire estate to the Master 
and Fellows of the University College for ever, in trust 
for the foundation of two travelling fellowships; £5000 
for the enlargement of the building of the University 
College; £40,000 for building a library at Oxford; £500 
yearly for ever towards mending the diet of St. Bartho¬ 
lomew’s Hospital. 
The ‘ Pharmacopoeia Practica’ is divided into two parts 
and an appendix. In the first part, twelve chapters 
treat of Cathartics, Glysters, Suppositories, Diaphoretics, 
Leeching, Tapping, etc. etc. In the second part, six 
chapters treating of Restoratives, Attenuants, Neutrals, 
etc. etc. The appendix of Opiates, Milk, Dipping, 
Axioms concerning local medicines, etc. etc., an index 
to the first and second parts, referring to every remedy 
or disease mentioned in the work. 
