Part 1

Transcriber’s notes:

Several features of this book are unusual: it has two slightly different lists of contents which do not correspond precisely with the text, and there is a preface midway through the book; it has confusing page numbering (omitted from this transcription) which restarts in successive sections of the text using mixed arabic and roman numerals; the text displays an unusual mixture of italics, small capitals, full capitals, and variable letter spacing (some of which do not display correctly on handheld reading devices); much of the spelling is archaic, and both spelling and punctuation are inconsistent. Some obvious typesetting errors have been corrected but the spelling and punctuation otherwise remains true to the original text. Illustrations are only decorative, not informative.

In this transcription paired underscores denote _italicised text_ and a ^ (caret) indicates superscripted text.

Footnotes have been positioned below the relevant paragraphs.

A

COLLECTION

OF

_Chirurgical Tracts_.

I. Of WOUNDS of the HEAD and BRAIN.

II. NEW DISCOVERIES relating to the CURE of CANCERS.

III. CHIRURGICAL REMARKS on several curious CASES.

IV. The HISTORY and ANTIQUITY of the VENEREAL DISEASE.

V. A NEW METHOD of curing CONSUMPTIONS by Specific Medicines.

Written and Collected

By _WILLIAM BECKETT_,

Surgeon and _F. R. S._

_LONDON_:

Printed for E. CURLL, in _Rose Street, Covent-Garden_. And Sold by C. RIVINGTON in St _Paul’s Church-Yard_, Mess. BIRT, WARE, LONGMAN, HITCH, WOOD and Company, in _Amen Corner, Paternoster-Row_, J. CLARK, in _Duck-Lane_, and J. HODGES, on _London-Bridge_. 1740.

(Price Four Shillings.)

THE

CONTENTS.

I. _Some Account of Mr_ BECKETT’s Life _and_ Writings. _Addressed to Sir_ HANS SLOANE.

II. Chirurgical Remarks _on_ Wounds _of the_ Head _and_ Brain.

III. New Discoveries _relating to the_ Cure _of_ Cancers.

IV. _The Case of Dr_ Keil _by Mr_ Rushworth _of_ Northampton.

V. _Three curious Dissections by_ John Ranby, _Esq; Surgeon to his Majesty’s Household_.

VI. _A New Method of curing_ Consumptions _by Specific Medicines, by_ Thomas Nevett, _Surgeon_.

VII. _The Natural_ Secret History _of both Sexes_. _By_ Luke Ogle, _Esq_;

VIII. Laws _and_ Regulations _of the_ Stews _in_ England.

IX. _The_ History _and_ Antiquity _of the_ Venereal Disease _in Three Letters to Dr_ Douglass, _Dr_ Wagstaffe _and Dr_ Halley.

To the HONOURABLE

Sir _Hans Sloane_, Bart.

PRESIDENT

OF THE

_Royal Society_, and _M. D._

SIR,

It is with the greatest Satisfaction that I now lay before you the Performance of those Commands, with which you were pleased to honour me, of collecting the _Chirurgical Pieces_ which were singly published by Mr BECKETT in his Life time.

This Gentleman might be said to have been begotten in his Profession, as being the Son of Mr ISAAC BECKETT, Surgeon of _Abington_ in _Berkshire_, where he was born in the Year 1684.

He received his Education under Mr PLEDWELL, then Master of the excellent Free Grammar-School belonging to that Town, served four Years of his Apprenticeship with his Father, and the three last with Mr _Joseph Bateman_, of St _Thomas’s Hospital_ in _Southwark_.

Mr BECKETT died, SIR, at his Sister’s House in _Abington_, _November_ the 25th 1738, in the 54th Year of his Age, and lies interred in St _Hellen_’s Church there.

Of this his Native Place, he drew up a _Brief Account of it’s History and Antiquities_.[1]

[1] See Mr ASHMOLE’s Antiquities of _Berkshire_, 3 Vols. 8vo. p. 111 of Vol. 1st.

A faithful Account of his WRITINGS is prefixed to this Volume; your Generous Patronage of which, he would himself have looked upon as the greatest Honour and Friendship that could be conferred on his Labours, and for which, I most humbly request your Acceptance of the Grateful Acknowledgments of,

SIR,

_Your Obedient, And Obliged, Humble Servant_,

_June 29, 1740._ E. C.

AN

ACCOUNT

OF THE

WRITINGS

OF

_WILLIAM BECKETT_,

Surgeon, and _F. R. S._

VIZ,

In the Year 1709, He Published, I. _Chirurgical Remarks, Occasioned by the Death of a_ CHILD, _whose_ CASE was _printed_ in that Year by _Daniel Turner_, Surgeon. To these Remarks Mr _Beckett_ subjoined, _An Account of a_ Wound _of the_ Brain _by_ a Bullet; _with Reflections thereon_. And at the End of this TRACT, Mr _Beckett_ gave an _Advertisement_ that He had almost ready for the Press, _Annotations and Practical Observations on the Learned and Ingenious Monsieur_ GENDRON’s _Enquiries into the Nature, Knowledge and Cure of_ CANCERS.

II. _In the Year_ 1711, He published NEW DISCOVERIES _relating to the Cure of_ CANCERS. _Wherein the painful Methods of cutting them off, and consuming them by Caustics are rejected, and that of dissolving the Cancerous Substance_ is recommended; _with various Instances of his Success in_ this Practice _on Persons reputed incurable. Also a Solution of Four curious Problems concerning_ CANCERS, viz. I. Whether the Cancerous Juice _is corrosive or not_. II. _Whether_ Cancers _are contagious or not_. III. _Whether if the extirpating a_ Cancerous Breast _happens to be successful, it ought to be looked upon as a Consequence of performing the Operation better than our Predecessors_. IV. _Whether a_ Salivation _will Cure a_ Cancer.

_This Treatise came to a_ Second Edition _the following Year_ 1712: _To which, besides some Corrections_, Mr BECKETT _added_ TWO _other Problems with their Solutions_, viz. V. Whether _Cancers_ are curable by _Caustics_. VI. Whether _Cancers_ are curable by _Internal Medicines_. In this Piece all that he promised relating to GENDRON is inserted. And to the present _Third Edition_ He subjoined, by way of _Postscript_, a very valuable _Receipt_ for the Cure of _Cancers_, which he informs us was communicated to him by his late eminent Brother Surgeon Mr _Dobyns_ of _Snow-Hill_. He had it from Mr _Pain_ a Gentleman of _Northamptonshire_, in whose Family it had been, in the highest Esteem, for above 200 Years. Mr _Beckett_ likewise adds, that he transcribed it from the Original _Manuscript_.

At the End of the _Second Edition_ of his _Treatise_ on _Cancers_, Mr _Beckett_ gave an _Advertisement_ that “He was then preparing for the Press, _Chirurgical Collections_, which would consist of His own _Observation_ of _uncommon Cases_, also, the most curious things relating to Surgery, taken from the Performances of the _German Eruditi_, in their _Acta Lipsiæ_, the _Miscellanea Curiosa_, _Philosophical Transactions_. _Memoirs for the Curious_, _Voyages_, _Travels_, _Natural Histories of Counties_, and many other things that would afford useful Observations. In this Collection was to be a great number of Figures of Cases, Instruments, Machines, _&c_. all curiously engraven on Copper Plates. This Undertaking was wholly designed for the Improvement of the Art of Surgery; and the _Introduction_ to it was to give an Account of our famous _English_ Writers in _Physic_ and _Surgery_, for many hundred Years past.”

The great and deserved Practice which attended Mr _Beckett_’s _New Method of curing Cancers_, obliged him to postpone the Publication of his _Chirurgical Collections_, as above recited; and which, upon a mature Deliberation, he changed into a much more extensive and useful Design; and, by Mr _Innys_ at the West-End of St _Paul_’s, and Mr _Hooke_ in _Fleet-street_, Booksellers, He published _Proposals for printing by Subscription in 2 Volumes_ 4to, An Account of the Lives, Characters, and Writings, _both Manuscript and Printed_, of the most eminent _British_ Authors in _Physic_, _Surgery_, _Anatomy_, _Pharmacy_, _Botany_ and _Chemistry_, from the Conquest to the Year 1721. To which was to be added, A large Collection of Records, principally taken from the _Tower_, containing Grants of particular Favours and Privileges to the most noted _Physicians_ and _Surgeons_ by the Kings of this Realm for many hundred Years; whereby, besides other curious Affairs not to be met with elsewhere, the Time in which they lived was to be ascertained, as to several of them, has hitherto remained absolutely undetermined. The whole faithfully collected and reduced to the most exact Order of Time.

This Work was proposed at the Price of one Guinea in Sheets.

Between the Years 1717 and 1720, Mr _Beckett_ published in the _Philosophical Transactions_, Three Letters concerning the _History of the Antiquity of the Venereal Disease_. I. To Dr _Douglass_. II. To Dr _Wagstaffe_. III. To Dr _Halley_. Proving _That Disease_ to have been _known_ and _cured_ in _England_ long before the Discovery of the _West-Indies_.

Of these Pieces Dr _Astruc_, a _French_ Physician, full of the Vanity peculiar to his Countrymen, seems doubtful as to their Proof, because he had never seen the Manuscripts, nor rare printed Authorities, cited by Mr _Beckett_; and treating of Dr _Turner_’s _Syphilis_, speaks slightly of that Gentleman, because he is of the same Opinion with Mr _Beckett_.

From the Publication of a small Pamphlet consisting but of 24 Pages, 8vo, Intituled, “A _Letter_ from a Gentleman at _Rome_, to his Friend in _London_, giving an Account of some very surprizing _Cures_ in the _King’s-Evil_ by the _Touch_, (of the Chevalier _De St George_) lately effected in the Neighbourhood of that City, 1721. Wherein is contained the compleatest History of this _miraculous Power_, formerly practiced by the _Kings_ of _England_, ever yet made public; the _Certainty_ of _which_ is confirmed by the most eminent Writers of this Nation, both _Catholics_ and _Protestants_, as, _Malmsbury_, _Alured_, _Brompton_, _Polydore Virgil_, _Harpsfield_, &c. and Drs _Tooker_, _Heylin_, Mr _Collier_, Mr _Echard_, &c. _Translated_ out of the _Italian_.” And the following Motto prefixed by the Catholic Translator, _viz._

_King_ Edward the Confessor, _was the first that cured this Distemper, and from him it has descended as an Hereditary Miracle upon All his Successors_. To dispute the _Matter of Fact_, is to go to the _Excess of Scepticism_, to _deny our Senses_, and to be _incredulous_ even to _Ridiculousness_. See _Collier_’s Ecclesiast. History Vol. I.

Mr _Beckett_ took an immediate Occasion to explode all these Legendary Assertions, and fully proved the Truth of Mr _Collier_’s positive _ipse dixit_ to lye on the other side of the Question, in two Letters which he Published, I. To Dr _Steigerthal_, intituled “A Free and Impartial Enquiry into the Antiquity and Efficacy of _Touching_ for the _King’s-Evil_.” II. To Sir _Hans Sloane_ in “order to a compleat Confutation of that supposed _supernatural Power_ descending from _Edward the Confessor_ to the succeeding _Kings_ of _England_. Also, A Dissertation concerning the ancient Method made use of, for the curing _Diseases_ by _Charms_, _Amulets_, &c.” To which is added, _A Collection of Records_.

When in the Year 1722, it was feared that we should be visited with the _Plague_ in _England_, after it had raged so violently at _Marseilles_ in _France_; Dr _Mead_ published his _Preservative_ against _Pestilential Distempers_. And, among several other _New_ Pieces written, and _Old_ ones revived upon this Occasion, Mr _Beckett_ voluntarily lent his helping Hand for the good of his Country, by giving his Judgment, and Publishing (Anonymously) _A Collection of Pieces_ Written during the _Plagues_, which happened in the two last Centuries.

Mr BECKETT’s _Chirurgical Observations_, made at St _Thomas_’s Hospital _Southwark_; Published last Summer, were prepared for the Press by Himself, and Inscribed to Sir _Hans Sloane_ and the _Royal Society_.

TO

Sir HANS SLOANE.

_Honoured Sir_,

The last Paper Mr _Beckett_ ever wrote, was an Address to you for a private Favour; in which he says, he likewise had reason to believe that Dr _Mead_ would be his Friend. He therein acquainted you that he had, “contracted such a Cold by sitting to write, with his Neck against a North-Window, as he feared would be his Death; and if so, _adds he_, it may be said I dye a Martyr to the _Improvement_ of the History of _Physic and Surgery_.” Thus concluded his Paper which he did not live to sign; it was found among his _Collections_ relating to the _Lives of the British Physicians, Surgeons_, &c. He had copied fair, for the Press, the greatest part of his Papers; and tho’ it was an _unfinished Work_, yet from his Character, and the great Pains he had taken, I knew it would be very acceptable to the Public. Accordingly I put it to the Press, and intended to have published it in two Volumes in _Octavo_. Young Dr _B_ * * * *, was recommended to me as a proper Editor: I sent for him and shewed him the Papers; but soon found, that he was much too young both in Character and Ability for such an Undertaking. I printed one Sheet, in _Octavo_, (of which there were but two Copies taken off) upon this, Dr _Milward_ informed me, that he had been for some Years compiling _An Universal History of Physic_. He expressed his Desire of purchasing Mr _Beckett_’s Papers, and being fully convinced, from his Learning and Candour, that he would do Justice to the _Author_’s Memory, I readily let him have them. And Sir, that you, might in some measure be apprized of Mr _Beckett_’s PLAN, I have to this Volume prefixed his Introduction to the Work.

_I Remain, Honoured Sir, Your Most Obliged, And Obedient, Humble Servant_,

E. CURLL.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

HISTORY

OF

PHYSIC and SURGERY.

_Concerning the Antient State of Learning, and the Antiquity of the Practice of_ Physic _and_ Surgery.

_Britain_ has been very happy in furnishing the World, in very early Times, with a great Number of famous and learned Men. Of the first Sort were the _Druydæ_, who, it is said, had their Original and Name from _Druys Sarronius_ the fourth King of the _Celts_, who died _Anno Mundi_ 2069. Next the _Bardi_, who celebrated the illustrious Deeds of famous Men, who had their Name from _Bardus Druydus_ the fifth King of the _Celts_. _Cæsar_ assures us, (and a noble Testimony it is) that the Learning of the _Druydi_, was first invented in _Britain_, and from thence transferred to _France_; and that, in his Time, those of _France_ came over hither to be instructed. A celebrated _German_ Writer, as quoted by Mr _Ashmole_ in the Prolegomena to his _Theat. Chem._ says, that when the World was troubled with Pannonic Invasions, _England_ flourished in the Knowledge of all good Arts, and was able to send her learned Men into other Countries to propagate Learning: And instances in _Boniface_, a _Devonshire_ Man, and _Willeboard_, a _Northern_ Man, which were sent into _Germany_ for those Purposes. Mr _John Leland_, a famous Antiquary, in the Reign of King _Henry_ VII, who was excellently well acquainted with our _British_ Authors, assures us, upon his own Knowledge, that we have had a great Number of excellent Wits and learned Writers, who, besides their great Proficiency in Languages, were well acquainted with the Liberal Sciences. And Bishop _Nicholson_, in his Historical Library says, I think we may without Vanity affirm, that hardly any Kingdom in the World has out-done _England_, either in the Number or Goodness of her Authors; and that even in the darkest Ages our Lamps shone always as bright as any of our Neighbourhood. When School-Divinity was in Fashion, we had our _Doctores Subtiles_, _Irrefragabiles_, _&c._ But as the History of the Learning of this Nation in general is not my present Design, I shall confine myself more particularly to what relates to Physic and Surgery. An Historical Account of the Antiquity and Progress of which Faculties, with the successive Improvements they have received, has not hitherto been attempted by any Hand. And indeed the Difficulty which must attend an Undertaking of this Nature, must be very great, by reason of the little Knowledge we are able to get, in this Kind, from those Manuscripts which yet remain among us. The ancient _Britains_, who went without Cloaths, may be very well presumed to live without Physic; but external Accidents they must be liable to, as well in their Wars as from other Causes; and History informs us, they had Methods of Cure for such Misfortunes. The _Saxons_, while they possessed _England_, had their Leeches, a sort of Surgeons, but very little skilled in Methodical Practice. But under the _Normans_ that Science began to be much more improved. About this Time the _Monks_ and _Fryars_, and others in Religious Orders, out of a pretended Charity to their suffering Fellow-Creatures, intruded themselves into the Practice of Physic and Surgery, and continued it many Years, notwithstanding the Decree of the Council of _Tours_ in 1163, where Pope _Alexander_ III. presided; which forbids any Religious Persons going out of their Cloisters, to hear the Lectures in Law or Physic; and that it is absolutely forbidden, that any Sub-Deacon, Deacon, or Priest, exercise any Part of Surgery in which actual Cauteries or Incisions are required. Most of the Physicians who practised in _England_ about this Time, were likewise well skilled in the Mathematics and other Parts of Philosophy; but the Surgeons of those Times were so much addicted to Astrology, as make some Parts of their Writings very obscure. After this both Physic and Surgery began to flourish much more, by the public Encouragement given very early by many of our Kings to several of the Practitioners in both Faculties, as will appear by the List of our Kings Physicians and Surgeons, to be inserted in it’s proper Place. _Hector Boëtius_ informs us, that _Josina_, King of _Scotland_, who lived above a hundred Years before our Saviour, well understood the Nature of _Scotch_ Plants, and their Use in Physic and Chirurgery; and _John Bale_, afterwards Bishop of _Ossory_ in _Ireland_, assures us, he wrote a Book, _de Herbarum Viribus_. _Buchanan_ relates, the _Scotch_ Nobility were anciently very expert in Chirurgery, and it is particularly remarked of _James_ IV, King of _Scotland_, _Quod vulnera scientissime tractaret_. It is said, that when _Scribonius Largus_ attended the Emperor _Claudius_ in his Expedition to _Britany_, he wrote a _British_ Herbal, or Description of divers Plants in this Island. And our most learned and famous King _Alfred_, is said to have written a Book upon Aristotle _de Plantis_. _Cinfrid_, a famous Physician, is mentioned by that early Writer _Venerable Bede_, in his _Histor. Ecclesiasticar._ page 307, 308. And _Ernulphus_, another eminent Physician, in the Time of _Nigellus_, the second Bishop of _Ely_, is likewise recorded in the _Anglia Sacra_, Vol. I. p. 625. Many more Particulars might, in all Probability, have been met with relating to my present Design, had not one very great Misfortune attended the Suppression of the Abbies, which was the Destruction of a prodigious Number of Manuscripts. _John Bale_, before-mentioned, though an utter Enemy to Popery and Monastic Institution, remonstrates against this Piece of Barbarity, in pretty strong Terms, to King _Edward_ VI. Covetousness, says he, was at that Time so busy about private Commodity, that public Wealth was not any where regarded. A Number of them, which purchased those superstitious Mansions, reserved of those Library-Books, some to serve their Jacks, some to scour their Candlestics, and some to rub their Boots, and some they sold to the Grocers and Soap-sellers, and some they sent over Sea to the Book-binders, not in small Numbers, but at Times whole Ships full. Yea, the Universities of this Realm, are not all clear in this detestable Fact: But cursed is the Belly which seeketh to be fed with so ungodly Gains, and so deeply shameth his natural Country. I know, says he, a Merchantman (which shall at this time be nameless) that bought the Contents of two noble Libraries for forty Shillings Price; a Shame it is to be spoken. This Stuff hath he occupied instead of gray Paper, by the Space of more than these ten Years, and yet he has Store enough for these ten Years to come. A prodigious Example is this, and to be abhorred of all Men, which love their Nation as they should do. Yea, what may bring our Nation to more Shame and Rebuke, than to have it noised abroad, that we are Despisers of Learning? I judge this to be true, and utter it with Heaviness, that neither the _Britons_, under the _Romans_ and _Saxons_, nor yet the _English_ People under the _Danes_ and _Normans_, had ever such Damage of their learned Monuments, as we have seen in our Time. Our Posterity may well curse this wicked Fact of our Age, this unseasonable Spoil of _England’s_ most noble Antiquities. _Bale_’s Declaration upon _Leland_’s Journal, published 1549. And Dr _Thomas Fuller_, in his Church History, speaking of the same Thing, tells us, Divinity was prophaned, Mathematics suffered for Correspondence with evil Spirits, Physic was maimed, and a Riot committed on the Law itself. However, notwithstanding this Devastation which was then made among our Manuscripts, our Colleges, and some of our Libraries, will furnish us with a great Number relating to almost all Parts of Learning: Some of which, more especially the most ancient ones, I shall here first give a Catalogue of, and then some more modern ones, confining myself to those which more especially relate to Physic and Chirurgery. And, first, we have in the _Norfolk_ Library, belonging to the Royal Society,

_Libellus de Arte Medicinali in Lingua Pictica conscriptus._ And in Cottonian Library,

_Præcepta nonnulla Medicinalia; partim & Divina ad dierum rationem Saxonice. Galbe. A._ 2. 3. 1.

_Exorcismi quidam & Medicinalia; partim Latine partim Saxonice. Galbe. A._ 2.

_Medicinalia quædam Saxonice & Latine Vitel. B._ 3. 4.

_Herbarium, Latine & Hibernice ordine Alphabetico. Vitel. F._ 14. 34.

_Tractatulus de Morbis, Latine & Hibernice mutilis initio & fine._

_Astronomica quædam & Medica Literis Saxonicis Membr. in Corpus Christi Coll. in Oxon._

_S. Dustan de Lapide Philosophorum._ In the same College.

_Tractatus Botanicus in Lingua Cambro-Britannica._ In Jesus Coll. Oxon.

_Medicinales Quæstiones Magistri Henrici de Wynton super Isagogen Joannitii._ In New College Library in Oxon.

_Liber Phlebotomiæ._ By the same Author, in the same Library.

_Tractatus de effectibus quatuor Qualitatum, secundum magistrum Ursonem._ In New College Library.

_Practica Chirurgiæ. Tho. Sculling, continens quatuor partes._ In New College Library.

_Guilielmi Scoti Medici Watlingtoniensis celeberrimi Liber de differenciis Urinarum._

_Joannis Ketham Chirurgia parva._

_De Virtutibus Herbarum & notabila Chirurgica._

_Liber rerum Medicinalium quondam spectans ad Pharmacopolam Edw. IV. Regis Angliæ in quo continentur Medicamina quam plurima pro Rege & Magnatibus præparata._ In Mr _Hen. Worsley_’s Library.

_William de Pine_, his Chyrurgery.

Receipts and Observations for curing Emrods, Fistula’s, Leprosy, Aches in the Joints, Tetters, Worms, Cramps, and _Noli me tangere_, in a very ancient Hand. By _Robert Williams_ of _Cockwood_.

A Treatise containing the whole Rules of Physic and Surgery, _M. S. Vetus_. Formerly in Dr _Tyson_’s Library.

Medicines of Master _Willeam du Jordyne_, given to King _Henry_, Regent and Heuter of the Reume of _Fraunce_. In Mr _Thoresby_’s Library.

A approbat Treite for the Pestilence, studied by the grettest Doctours of Fysick amongs Thuniversitie of Cristen Nations yn the Time of St _Tho._ of _Canterburie_. In the same Library.

A Book of Surgery, wrote in the Year 1392. Divided into three Parts. The first of Anatomy. The second of Wounds, Imposthumes, Dislocations, and Fractures of Bones. The third, the Antidotary of Surgery. Formerly in Dr _Tyson_’s Library.