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359 
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take Soranus the Methodist for two other physicians of the 
same name. The first of these was also a native of Ephesus, 
but posterior to the Methodist. He was the author of a good 
treatise on the diseases and organs of generation of women, 
which was printed at Paris in 1556, under the title of “ De 
Utero et Muliebri pudendo libellus,” together with some 
pieces of Rufus, the Ephesian. This fragment is so accurate in 
point of anatomical description, as to leave a regret that the 
other writings of this physician are lost. The third of these 
physicians of the name of Soranus, was surnamed Melotas, 
from the town in Cilicia, where he was born. There is, 
however, no very authentic record of him extant; and the 
only work ascribed to him, which is entitled “ Isagoge 
saluberrima in Artem medendi,” and was printed at Basle, 
1528, and Venice, 1547, is maintained by Vossius to be the 
work of a posterior Latin writer, and not of any of the three 
persons named Soranus. See Le Clerc, Hist, de la Med. 
Elo.i/ Did. Hist. 
SORAU, or Zarowe, a neat town of the Prussian States, 
in Lower Lusatia; 49 miles south-south east of Frankfort 
on the Oder. It contains a palace, four Protestant chinches, 
an orphan house, with a free school, two hospitals, and 3800 
inhabitants. They carry on a variety of petty manu¬ 
factures. ' 
SORAU, or Zyory, a town of Prussian Silesia; 20 
miles east of Ratibor, and 54 south-south-east of Oppeln. 
Population 1700. 
SORB, s. [s or bum, Lat.] The service-tree.—The tim¬ 
ber of the sorb is useful to the joiner. Evelyn. —The berry 
of the tree. 
SORBAIT (Paul de), a physician of eminence, was a na¬ 
tive of Hainault, in the Low Countries. Having finished his 
courses of classical and philosophical studies, he commenced 
that of medicine, which he appears to have concluded by 
taking the degree of doctor in that faculty at Vienna, where 
he ultimately settled. He obtained a high reputation for 
medical skill and erudition; and, in 1655, was appointed to 
the principal professorship of medicine in the university of 
that metropolis, the duties of which he executed with consi¬ 
derable celebrity, until the year 1679. While he was en¬ 
gaged in his course of this year, he was honoured with the 
appointment of physician to the dowager empress Eleanor, 
and at the conclusion of it, relinquished altogether his acade¬ 
mical avocations. His merits were still farther rewarded by 
the office of counseller and superintendant of the public 
health, and by his elevation to the dignity of a knight of the 
kingdom of Hungary. He died in April 1691, at an ad¬ 
vanced age. He left several works, namely, a-body of medical 
practise, first published at Nuremberg, in 1672, folio, with 
the title of “ Universa Medicina, tam Theorica quam Prac- 
tica, nempe Isagoge Institutionum Medicarum et Anatomi- 
carum, &c.” This work was republished at Vienna in 1680, 
and again after his death, in 1701, with the new title of “ Prax- 
eos Medicse auctae, et a plurimistypi mendis ab ipso Auctore 
castigate Tractatus VII. &c.” “ Nova et aucta Institutionum 
Medicarum Isagoge,” 1678, 4to. “ Commentaria et Contro- 
verste in omnes Libros Aphorismorum Hippocratis,” 1680. 
In the preceding year he published an account of the plague, 
which had committed dreadful ravages in Vienna, having 
destroyed, he affirms, not less than 76,921 persons. Its title 
was “ Consilium Medicum, sive Dialogus Loimicus de Peste 
Viennensi,” 1697; and he published the same work, in Ger¬ 
man, in 1680. He was author also of “ A Treatise on Mid¬ 
wifery,” in the German language. Eloy Did. Hist, de 
la Med. 
SORBIE, a parish of Scotland, in Wigtonshire, lying on 
the coast of the bay of Wigton. It is nearly 6 miles in 
length, and the same in breadth. Population 1265. 
SORBIERE (Samuel), was born in 1615, at St. Ambroix, 
in the diocese of Usex. He was educated by his maternal 
uncle, an eminent Calvinist minister at Nismes. He came 
to Paris in 1639, and being disgusted, for some reasons not 
now known, with the study of theology, he took up that of 
medicine. In 1642 he went to Holland, where, besides pur¬ 
suing his medical studies, he materialy assisted in the transla¬ 
tion of Camden’s Britannia, and also Morels Utopia. He 
married, in Holland, the daughter of one of his townsmen, 
and went to Leyden, with the intention of settling in his 
profession. In 1648 he published, under his own name, a 
French version of a treatise of Gassendi, entitling it “ Dis¬ 
cours sceptique sur le Passage du Chyle, et le Mouvement du 
Cceur.” Returning to France in 1650, he was made princi¬ 
pal of the college of Orange, and there printed a Discourse 
on the true cause of the troubles of England, and a letter on 
the designs of Cromwell. He conformed to the Catholic 
religion in 1653, after which his life was chiefly spent as an 
author, with a view, it is said, of attempting to obtain pen¬ 
sions, in which he was very successful, having laid under 
contribution Cardinal Mazarin, Lewis XIV., and the popes 
Alexander VII. and Clement IX. He visited England in 
1664, and on his return he published an account of what he 
had observed, which was so free in its strictures, that he was 
for a time exiled by a lettre de cachet. Sorbiere was like¬ 
wise author of a work entitled “ Lettres et Discours sur divers 
Matieres curieuses,” which contributed to his temporary 
reputation. He died in 1670, and a Sorberiana was pub¬ 
lished after his death, containing sentiments supposed to have 
dropt from him in conversation. His writings exhibit a 
caustic and satirical spirit, and the learning which they dis¬ 
play is neither original nor solid. He was intimately con¬ 
nected with Hobbes and Gassendi, on whom he imposed 
himself as a profound thinker. 
SO'RBILE, adj. [from sorbeo, Lat.] That may be drunk 
or sipped. 4 
SORBPTION, s. [sorb it ion, Fix . Cotgrave; sorbitio, 
Lat.] The act of drinking or sipping. 
SORBO'NICAL, adj. Of or belonging to a Sorbonist. 
See Sorbonist. 
SO'RBONIST, s. A doctor of theological house of 
Sorbon, or Sorbonne, in the university of Paris : the Sor- 
bonne was also a term used in general for the whole faculty 
of the theology there. 
In school-divinity as able 
As he that hight Irrefragable:— 
Profound in all the nominal 
And real ways beyond them all; 
For he a rope of sand could twist 
As tough as learned Sorbonist. Hudibras. 
SORBONNE (Robert de), founder of the famous theolo¬ 
gical college which bears his name, was born in 1201, of an 
obscure family at Sorbon, in the diocese of Rheims. Being 
educated at Paris, and having taken his degree of doctor, he 
devoted himself to preaching, in which he became so cele¬ 
brated, that the king made him his chaplain and confessor. 
Having become a canon of Cambray in 1251, the recollection 
of the difficulties which he had experienced in the course of 
his own studies, suggested to him a plan for facilitating to 
poor scholars the means of proceeding to graduation. This 
was to form a society of secular ecclesiastics, who, living in 
common, and provided with a regular maintenance, should 
read lectures gratuitously. With the assistance of his friends, 
he founded the college called the Sorbonne, which was par¬ 
ticularly consecrated to the study of theology, and its consti¬ 
tution has served as a model for that of all colleges since 
erected in that country. Sorbonne afterwards added to this 
foundation a college for the languages and philosophy, under 
the name of the College of Calvi, or the Little Sorbonne. 
He was made canon of Paris in 1258, and rose to such a 
height of reputation, that princes looked to him on many 
important occasions as the arbitrator of their disputes. He 
died in 1274, at the age of 73, and left considerable property 
to his college. He was author of several works on theologi¬ 
cal subjects, which are preserved in MS. in the library of the 
great college of which he was the liberal founder. 
SORBONNE, or Sorbon, the house or college of the 
faculty of theology, established in the university of Paris. 
It was founded in 1256, by St. Louis, or rather by Ro¬ 
bert de Sorbonne, his confessor and almoner; first canon of 
Cambray, and afterwards of the church of Paris; who gave 
his 
