John Browne (anatomist)
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John Browne (1642–1702) was an English anatomist, surgeon and author. He published the first description of
cirrhosis of the liver Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...
in 1685 and the first description of necrotising pancreatitis in 1684. He was also known for publishing the work of others under his name.


Life

Browne was brought up in
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
, in a surgical family, being related to William Crop, a surgeon in
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
, but not closely related to
Sir Thomas Browne Sir Thomas Browne ( "brown"; 19 October 160519 October 1682) was an English polymath and author of varied works which reveal his wide learning in diverse fields including science and medicine, religion and the esoteric. His writings display a d ...
whom he knew. He studied at
St. Thomas's Hospital, London St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, together with Guy's Hospital, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital an ...
, under Thomas Hollyer, served as a naval surgeon, and then practised in Norwich. In 1678 Browne moved to London, and about the same time was made surgeon
in ordinary ''In ordinary'' is an English phrase with multiple meanings. In relation to the Royal Household and public officials more generally, it indicates that a position is a permanent one (in contrast to positions that are extraordinary). In naval matt ...
to King Charles II. With the king's recommendation he became surgeon at St. Thomas's Hospital, on 21 June 1683, chosen over Edward Rice who had taken charge of the hospital during the
Great Plague The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. The disease is c ...
of 1665, when other surgeons deserted their posts. In 1691 complaints arose that the surgeons did not obey the regulations of the hospital, and claimed that being appointed by royal mandamus they were not responsible to the governors. The Whig Sir Robert Clayton was then President, the governors were determined to maintain their authority, and on 7 July 1691 they dismissed the whole of their surgical staff, including Browne, and appointed others. Browne appealed to the lords commissioners of the great seal, and the governors were called upon to defend their proceedings. Browne was also surgeon to William III. In 1698 he petitioned the governors to be reinstated, though without success.


Works

Browne wrote: *''A Treatise of Preternatural Tumours'', London, 1678 (with plates). *''A Complete Discourse of Wounds'', London, 1678 (with plates). *''Adeno-Choiradelogia, or an Anatomick-Chirurgical Treatise'', London, 1684, in three parts: #''Adenographia, or an Anatomical Treatise of the Glandules''; #''Chreradelogia, or an exact Discourse of Strumaes or King's Evil Swellings''; #''Charisma Basilicon, or the Royal Gift of Healing Strumaes, &c., by Contact or Imposition of the Sacred Hands of our Kings of England and of France''. It describes the method pursued by Charles II in touching for the "
king's evil Kings or King's may refer to: *Kings: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations. *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'', an 11th-century epic Persia ...
", with which as the king's surgeon Browne was officially concerned. It gives statistics for the numbers of persons touched (between 1660 and 1682, reckoned as 92,107). *''Myographia Nova, or a graphical description of all the Muscles in the Human Body; with one and forty copper-plates'', London, 1684; 2nd ed. Lugd. Batavorum, 1687; 3rd ed. London, 1697; 4th ed. London, 1698. This treatise on the muscles consists of six lectures, illustrated by copper-plates. It was, however, plagiarised, as was pointed out by James Yonge: it put together text from the ''Muskotomia'' of William Molins with illustrations from the ''Tabula anatomicae'' of Giulio Casserius. Nevertheless, Browne's book was popular, and appeared in ten editions. *''The Surgeon's Assistant'', London, 1703.


References

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Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, John 1642 births 1702 deaths English anatomists English surgeons English medical writers People involved in scientific misconduct incidents