Maister Peter Lowe (Circa 1550–1610): Founder of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

The last line is somewhat reminsicent of the epitaph which William Butler Yeats (1865–1839) wrote for himself at the end of the poem: ‘Under Ben Bulben: Cast a cold eye On life, on death Horseman, pass by!'2

Yeats WB . Under Ben Bulben In: Selected poetry London: Pan Books Ltd, 1976; 205–8.

Craig WS . History of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1976; 39–56 and57–69.

Weir W . Origin and early history of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow Glasgow University Press, 1864.

Duncan A . Memorials of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow 1599–1850 Glasgow: James Maclehose and Sons, 1896.

Gibson T . The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. A short history based on the portraits and other memorabilia Edinburgh: MacDonald Printers Ltd, 1893.

Coutts J . A history of the University of Glasgow from its Foundation in 1451 to 1909 Glasgow: James Maclehose and Sons, 1909.

Oakley CA . The second city, Third edition Glasgow: Blackie and Sons Ltd, 1775.

Daiches D . Glasgow London: André Deutsch Ltd, 1977.

House J . The heart of Glasgow London: Hutchison and Co. (Publishers) Ltd, 1978.

Reference 5, pp 217–18. The Charter of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons has been translated into modern English. See Buchanan, W W. Charter by King James VI to the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. College Bull Roy Coll Physicians Surgeons of Glasgow 1975; 4:4–8.

Bingham C . James VI of Scotland London, England Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1979, p 142–151.

Fraser A . King James VI of Scotland and I of England London:Sphere Books Ltd, 1977; 127.

Jack RDS . Scottish prose 1550–1700 London: Calder and Bayars Ltd, 1971;111–8.

Buchanan WW . Jamie the Saxt's a counterblaste to tobacco Ann Roy Coll Phys Surg Canad 1996; 29:417–20.

The language of the Glasgow charter and ‘A Counterblaste to Tobacco’ is what literary scholars refer to as Middle Scots i.e. 1450–1700. This was used by poets such as Robert Henryson (c1420–c1490), William Dunbar (1476–1522) and influenced by the Inglis of Geoffrey Chaucer (c1340–c1400). As such it is distinct from the Lallans of Robert Burns (1759–1796) and from modem Scots i.e. 1700 to present.

Scott L . Peter Lowe, surgeon to Henry IV of France and James VI of Scotland. Coll Bull R Coll Physicians Surg Glasg 1980; 9:12–19.

Boswell J . Life of Johnson (Chapman RW [ed]). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985;1209.

Scott L . A note on the life of Peter Lowe, Scotchman, Arellian, doctor in the Facultie of Chirurgerie in Paris, and chirurgion ordinarie to the most victorious and Christian King of France and Navarre Birmingham, Alabama, USA:The Classics of Medicine Library, 1982.

Finlayson J . Maister Peter Lowe Glasgow: James Maclehose and Sons, 1889.

Cowan EJ . The myth of Scotch Canada, celtic heritage 1996; 10, 28. The adjective ‘Scotch’ was what Scotsmen called themselves until the late nineteenth century. The English began at that time to use the term ‘Scotch’ in a perjorative sense in order to reduce Scots when they virtually ran the British Empire to their proper colonial status.

The meditations of Marcus Aurelius Translated by Long G. New York: Avon Books, 1993.

Lowe P . The whole course of chirurgerie London: Thomas Purfoot, 1597. (Reprinted by The Classics of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 1981.)

The Auld Alliance was both an offensive and defensive treaty against England established between John Balliol (1249–1313) of Scotland and Philip IV (1285–1314) of France in October 1295, on the eve of the War of Independence (1296–1328). In addition to its political dimension, social and cultural exchange between Scotland and France certainly enriched the former country. Scottish enthusiasm waned after the defeat at Flodden (1513) but the alliance was renewed by the Treaty of Haddington (1548) after the ‘rough wooing’ of Henry VIII (1491–1547). JamesV (1512–1542) had a French wife, Mary of Guise (1515–1560) and the first husband of the luckless Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587), Francis II (1544–1560) was the dauphin of France.

Lowe P . An easie, certaine, and perfect Method, to cure and prevent the Spanish sickness London: James Roberts, 1596.

Cartwright FF . Disease and history New York:Dorset Press, 1972; 58–9.

William Shakespeare referred to ‘the malady of France’ in at least seven of his plays. For example the humble English soldier named Pistol reminisces at the end of a battle with the French in King Henry V, Act V, Scene i, 75: ‘News have I that my Nell is dead i’ the spital Of malady of France'

Van Wyck W . The sinister sheperd: a translation of Girolamo Fracastoro's syphilidis sive de morbo gallico libri tres Los Angeles: The Primavera Press, 1934(Reprinted by The Classics of Medicine Library. Birmingham, Alabama USA, 1992).

Clowes W . A short and profitable treatise touching the cure of the morbus gallicus by unctions London: J. Daye, 1579.

Clowes W . A prooved practise for all young chirurgians, concerning burnings with gunpowder, and woundes made with gunshot London: Orwyn for T. Cadman, 1588.

Buchanan WW . Nicholas Culpeper's physick for rheumatics. Clin Rheumatol 1995; 14:81–6.

Culpeper N . Culpeper's school of physick or the experimental practice of the whole art London: Printed for N. Brook at the Angel in Cornhill, 1659. (Reprinted by The Classics of Medicine Library, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 1993.)

We cannot find any information on John Cointret, apart from the fact he was a member of the prestigious Collége de St. Côme, as was Maister Peter Lowe.

Neill DH . The art and science of government among the Scots (translated from George Buchanan's Dialogus De Jure Regni Apud Scotos) William MacLellan, 1964.

Albutt TC . The historical relations of medicine and surgery to the end of the sixteenth century London: MacMillan and Co., 1905;99.

Spencer WG . Celsus de medicina London: Heinemann, 1935–1938 (3 vols). 2:81,83.

Pagel LL . Die chirurgie des Heinrich de Mondeville Berlin: A. Hirschwald, 1892.

Heister L . Chirurgie, in welcher alles, was zur Wund-Artney Gehöret, Nach der Neuesten und Besten Art Nürnberg: J. Hoffman, 1718.

Hunter J . A treatise on the blood, inflammation, and gun-shot wounds London: Printed by John Richardson for George Nicol, Bookseller to his Majesty, Pall-Mall, 1794; (Part II, Chapter 1) 189–220. (Reprinted by The Classics of Medicine Library, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, 1982)

Paré A . Oeuvres complètes d'Ambroise Paré. ( Malgaigne JF [ed]) 3 vols. Paris:Baillière, 1840–41.

Paré A . Apologie et traité (English Translation) - The apologie and treatise of Ambroise Paré (Keynes G [ed]) New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1968;117–42.

Several well-known medieval surgeons ascribed to the belief that gunshot wounds were poisoned. These included: Hans H. Von Gersdorff (fl 1500), Jacopo Berengario (Berengarious, Berenger) da Carpi (1470–1530) and Alfonso Ferri (1515–1595). For further discussion: Mettler, CC, Mettler FA. History of medicine Philadelphia: The Blakiston Company, 1947; 867. (Reprinted by The Classics of Medicine Library, Birmingham, Alabama USA 1986.)

Treacle was the popular name for the popular panacea, known by the Greek name ‘therica', originally the antidote to venomous bites. See Watson G. Theriac and mithridatum. A study in therapeutics London: The Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 1966.

De Vigo G . Practica in arte chirurgica copiosa. continens novem libros Rome: Per S. Guillireti et H. Bononiesem, 1514; iii:2–3.

Shah M . Premier chirurgien du roi: the life of Ambroise Paré (1510–1590). J Roy Soc Med 1992; 85:292–4.

Paré A . La méthode de traicter les playes faictes par hacquebutes et aultres bastons à feu: et de celles qui son faictes par flèches, dardy et semblables Paris: Chés vivant Gaulterot, 1545.

Phillips I Fernandes R . Gundara NS. Acetic acid in the treatment of superficial wounds infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lancet 1968; i:11–13.

Majno G . The healing hand. Man and wound in the ancient world Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1975 (reprinted by Classics of Medicine Library, Birmingham, Alabama, 1991).

Ribéreau-Gayon J Peynaud E . Traité d'oenologie 2 vols. Paris Libr Polytechn. C. Béranger, 1961.

Brenner H Rothenbacher D Bode G Adler G . Relation of smoking and alcohol and coffee consumption to active Helicobacter pylori infection: cross sectional study. BMJ 1997; 315:1489–92.

Brunschig H . Das ist das buch der Cirurgia Hantwirkckung der wundartzny von Hyeronimo Brunschwig Strassburg: J Grüninger, 1947.

Maggi B . De vulnerum bombardarum et sclopetorum, globulis illatorum, et de eorum symptomatum curatione tractatus Bologna, 1552.

Paracelsus. Der grossen Wundartzney Augspurg H. Steyner, 1536.

Der Geist der stets verneint i.e. The spirit is always negative, a comment on Paracelsus’ constant criticism of medical authorities.

Osler W . The evolution of modern medicine New Haven, Connecticutt: Yale University Press, 1921; 132–45. (Reprinted by The Classics of Medicine Library, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.)

Paracelsus's full name was Bombastus Ab Hohenheim Paracelsus (Aureolus Philippus Theophrastus). The English adjective bombastic is derived from his first name, but not French (ampoulé) or German (schwülstig).

Grapow H . Grundriss der Medizin der alten Ägypter 10 Parts. Berlin Germany, Part IV 1205 and 2, 157, 1954–62.

Hippocrates. The genuine works of Hippocrates Translated from the Greek, with a preliminary discourse and annotations by Francis Adams. 2 Vols. London: The Sydenham Society 1849 Aphorisms No. 44, 319.

The surgery of Theodoric circa 1267 2 Vols. Translated from the Latin by Eldridge Campbell and James Colton. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1955–60.

Gillespie I . Peter Lowe's ‘The whole course of chirurgerie'. A textbook from neraly 400 years ago. Coll Bull Roy Coll Physicians Surg Glasg 1984; 13:13–14.

Garrison FH . An introduction to the history of medicine Fourth edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1929;227.

We do not know the menaing of Gulemew. A ravensbill is probably what Paré refers to as a ‘Crowes beak’ an example of which appears in his account of his amputations (Figure 7) (41)

Clowes W . A profitable and necessarie book of observations London, 1956.

Bruschwig H . Translated into English as The noble experyence of the vertuous handywarke of surgeri London: P Treveris.

Paré A . Dix livres de la chirurgie, avec le magasin des instruments necessaires à icelle Paris Jean de Royer, 1564.

Malgaigne JF . Oevres complètes d'Ambroise Paré Paris 1840–1841, 3 Vols Paris: Baillière; 3,680.

Gersdorff H . Feldtbuch der Wundartzney Strassburg J. Schott, 1517.

Yonge J . Currus triumphalis, è terebinthô. wherein also, the common methods and medicaments, used to restrain hemorrhages, are examined. London: J Martyn, 1679.

Ravaton H . Chirurgie d'Armée Paris: PF Didot le jeune, 1768.

Franco P . Petit traite contenant une des parties principalles de chirurgie, laquelle les chirurgiens hernieres exercent Lyon: Antione Vincent, 1556.

Franco P . Traité des ternies Lyon: T Payan, 1561.

Illingworth C. . Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Glasgow: William Hodge and Co. Ltd, 1969.

Goodall AL . The Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons. Scot Med J 1961; 6:477–84.