Harvey, William, 1578-1657; Physicians -- England -- Biography
Dr. Norman Moore says that, as physician, Harvey sat once a week at
a table in the hall of the hospital, and that the patients who were
brought to him sat by his side on a settle--the apothecary, the
steward, and the matron standing by whilst he wrote his prescriptions
in a book which was always kept locked. The hall was pulled down about
the year 1728, but its spacious fireplace is still remembered because,
to maintain the fire in it, Henry III. granted a supply of wood from
the Royal Forest at Windsor. The surgeons to the hospital discharged
their duties in the wards, but the physician only went into them to
visit such patients as were unable to walk.
The office of physician carried with it an official residence rented
from the governors of the hospital at such a yearly rent and on such
conditions as was agreed upon from time to time. Harvey never availed
himself of this official residence, for at the time of his election he
was living in Ludgate, where he was within easy reach of the hospital.
For some reason, however, it was resolved at a Court of Governors, held
under the presidency of Sir Thomas Lowe on July 28, 1614, that Harvey
should have this residence, consisting of two houses and a garden in
West Smithfield adjoining the hospital. The premises were let on lease
at the time of the grant, but the tenure of Harvey or of his successor
was to begin at its expiration. The lease did not fall in until 1626,
when Harvey, after some consideration, decided not to accept it. It
was therefore agreed, on July 7, 1626, that his annual stipend should
be increased from £25 to £33 6s. 8d. In these negotiations, as well
as in some monetary transactions which he had with the steward of the
hospital at the time of his election as physician to the hospital, we
seem to see the hand of Eliab, for throughout his life William was
notoriously open-handed, indifferent to wealth, and constitutionally
incapable of driving a bargain.
III
THE LUMLEIAN LECTURES
Until the year 1745 the teaching of Anatomy in England was vested in
a few corporate bodies, and private teaching was discouraged in every
possible way, even by fine and imprisonment. The College of Physicians
and the Barber Surgeons' Company had a monopoly of the anatomical
teaching in London. In the provinces the fragmentary records of the
various guilds of Barber Surgeons show that many of them recognised
the value of a knowledge of Anatomy as the foundation of medicine. In
the universities there were special facilities for its teaching. But
subjects were difficult to procure, and dissection came to be looked
upon as part of a legal process so inseparably connected with the death
penalty for crime that it was impossible to obtain even the body of a
"stranger" for anatomical purposes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account