Craton, John

, a physician and voluminous writer, was born at Breslaw in 15iy. He received his first instruction under Philip Melancthon, and being intended for the church, he afterwards studied for | six years under Martin Luther at Wittenburgh, but being more inclined to the practice of medicine, he was sent to Padua, and placed under professor Monti. He here took the degree of doctor, and returned and settled at Breslaw, whence, at the end of a few years, he was called to Vienna, and made physician and aulic counsellor to the emperor, Ferdinand I. He tilled the same post under the two succeeding emperors, Maximilian and Rodolph, which he notices in an epigram he composed a short time before his death:

"Cæsaribus placuisse tribus, non ultima laus est,

Me pater hac ornans, tilius atque nepos."

His works were numerous the titles of the principal of them were, “De Morbo Gallico Commentarius,” Franc. 1594, 8vo; “De vera praecavendi et curandi Febrem contagiosam pestiientem ratione,” 1594; “Methodus Therapeutica ex Galeni et Montani Sententia.” There were also published seven volumes in 8vo, of Epistles and Consultations; and, according to Niceron, he was the editor of Luther’s “Table Talk;” or, as some say, that work was compiled from his recollections of conversation with Lmher, but this seems doubtful. He died Nov. 9, 1585. ¹