Thomas Willis

the most famous Physitian of his time, was born at Great Bedwyn in Wilts. 27. Janu. 1621. His father was Tho. Willis of North Henxsey near Abendon in Berks. somtimes a retainer to S. Johns Coll, (but no Graduat) afterwards Baillive or Steward to Sir Walt. Smith of Bedwyn, and in his last days a constant inhabitant of N. Henxsey, before mention’d. Which last Thomas was son of another Thomas, a Taylor, as I have been informed, who mostly lived at Kennington near Abendon also. As for Thomas our author he was bred in Grammar learning under Edw. Sylvester, who taught a private School in Allsaints parish in Oxon, to whom he went every day from N. Henxsey. In 1636 he became a retainer to the family of Dr. Tho. Iles Canon of Ch. Ch. and was his Batler there, where applying himself very severely to his studies took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1642. About that time Oxford being garrison’d for the King, he, among the Scholars that were then remaining, bore arms in his defence, and all the time that he could obtain, he bestowed on his beloved study of Physick. In 1646, the Garrison being then surrendred for the use of the Parliament, he took the degree of Bachelaur of that faculty, fell to the practice of it, and every Munday kept Abendon Market. So that by his great care and industry he in short time became famous in these parts, setled in S. John Baptists parish, in an house opposite to Merton Coll. Church, and was sent for far and near for his help, while in the mean time Mr. John Fell (whose sister he had married,) Mr. Joh. Dolben, and somtimes Mr. Rich. Allistry did constantly exercise in his house (as they had partly before done in his lodgings in Canterbury quadrangle) the Liturgy and Sacraments according to the Church of England, to which most of the Loyallists in Oxon, especially Scholars that had been ejected in 1648, did daily resort. In 1660, after his Majesties restauration, he became Sedlies professor of Natural Philosophy, in the place of Dr. Josh. Cross then ejected, and shortly after he was created Doctor of his faculty, and upon the foundation of the Royal Society was made fellow of it. In 1666 after the dismal conflagration at London, he upon the invitation of Dr. Sheldon Archb. of C [•] nt, went to the City of Westminster, took a tenement in S. Martins Lane, and in very short time after he became so noted, and so infinitely resorted to, for his practice, that never any Physitian before, went beyond him, or got more mony yearly than he. About that time he was made one of the Coll. of Physitians, who for the most part had him in great esteem. The truth is, tho he was a plain man, a man of no carriage, little discourse, complesance or society, yet for his deep insight, happy researches in natural and experimented Philosophy, Anatomy, and Chymistry, for his wonderful success and repute in his practice, the natural smoothness, pure elegancy, delightful unaffected neatness of lat. stile, none scarce hath equal’d, much less outdone, him how great soever. When at any time he is mention’d by authors, (as he is very often) it is done in words expressing their highest esteem of his great worth and excellency, and placed still, as first in rank, among Physitians. And further also, he hath laid a lasting foundation of a body of Physick chiefly on Hypotheses of his own framing. See more in the Epistle to the reader before his works printed at Geneva, in two vol. an. 1676. His works are these.

Diatribae duae Medico-philosophicae de fermentatione, altera de febribus. Hag. Com. 1659. oct. Lond. 1660. 65 &c. in tw. Answer’d by Edm. de Meara a Doctor of Physick of Bristow, and Fellow of the Coll. of Physitians. See more in Rich. Lower, an. 1690.

Dissertatio Epistolica de Urinis. Printed with the former book.

Cerebri Anatome. Lond. 1664. oct. Amstel. 1667. in tw. Whatsoever is anatomical in that book, the glory thereof belongs to the said R. Lower, whose indefatigable industry at Oxon produced that elaborate piece.

De ratione motus musculorum. Printed with Cer. Anat.

Pathalogiae cerebri & nervosi generis specimina, in quo agitur de morbis convulsivis & de scorbuto. Oxon. 1667. qu. Lond. 1668. Amstel. 1669. &c. in tw. An account of which is in the Philosophical transactions, num. 31.

Affectionum quae dicuntur Hystericae & Hypochondriacae Pathologia spasmodica, vindicata contra responsionem epistolarem Nathan. Highmore M. D. Lond. 1670. qu. Leyd. 1671. in tw. &c.

Exercitationes Medico-physicae duae 1. De sanguinis accensione, 2. De motu musculari. This is printed with the book next before going, and an account of both of them are in the Phil. Transact. num. 57.

De anima Brutorum, quae hominis vitalis ac sensativa est, exercitationes duae, &c. Lond. 1672. in qu. and oct. &c. Amstel. 1674 in tw. And also of this, num. 83. All which books except Affectionum quae dicuntur, &c. and that De anima Brutorum, were translated into English by S. P. Esq.—Lond. 1681. fol.

Pharmaceutice rationalis: sive Diatriba de medicamentorum operationibus in humano corpore. Part. 2. Oxon. 1674. and 75 in tw. and qu. Published by Dr. Jo. Fell, who in a Postscript added to the authors preface, gives some running account of the said author, but false as to his parent. This Pharmaceutice was translated into English by Anon-Lond. 1679. fol. but being not well done it was corrected by S. P. Esq. before mention’d, and involved in the former translation of 1681. Afterwards came out The London practice of physick: or the whole practical part of physick contained in the works of Dr. Willis, faithfully made English and printed together for the publick good. Lond. 1685. oct. with his picture before it. What are therein made English of his works are (1) His first and second parts of the Pharmaceutice rationalis. (2) His tract of Convulsive diseases. (3) His tract of the Scurvy. (4) His tr. of the Diseases of the brain, and Genus nervosum. (5) His tr. Of Feavers: The other parts of his works being Theoretical are therein omitted. This translation is said to be different from that containing the same pieces, contained in his former translations of all his works in fol.

A plain and easie method for preserving those that are well from the infection of the plague, or any contagious distemper, in City, Camp, Country, Fleet, &c. and for curing such that are infected with it—This was written in 1666, but not printed till the latter end of 1690. At length after a great deal of drudgery, that he did undergo in his faculty, (mostly for lucre sake) which did much shorten his life, he concluded his last day in his House in S. Martins-lane before mention’d, on the eleventh day of Nov. in sixteen hundred seventy and five: whereupon his body was conveyed to the Abbey Church of S. Peter in Westminster and there inter’d in the large isle or trancept,1675. joyning to the North side of the choire, near to the body of Mary his first Wife, Daughter of Samuel Fell D. D. sometimes Dean of Ch. Ch. in Oxon: Which Mary died on the Vigil of Allsaints an. 1670. The said Dr. Willis (who left behind him the character of an orthodox, pious, and charitable physitian) did, some years before his death, settle a salary for a Reader to read prayers in S. Martins Church in the fields in Westm. early and late every day, to such servants and people of that parish, who could not, through multiplicity of business, attend the ordinary service dayly there performed. All his Latin works were printed in two vol. in qu. at Geneva 1676, as I have before told you, and at Amsterdam 1682. qu. by Gerard Blasius M. D. and ordinary professor of the same faculty at that place.