Wells, W. (& others)

Collection of medical receipts, prescriptions and extracts: in English and Latin. Holograph MS. by three hands: the first, that of W. Wells [or Welles]; the second by John Symcotts; and additions by C. Haslam. On p. 77 is a pen-drawing of a distilling furnace for making 'Aqua mercurii'. The MS. is mainly the compilation by W. Wells [or Welles] and John Symcotts who appear to have been contemporaries [partners?], though entries by Symcotts usually seem to follow those of Wells. Their hands are somewhat similar but can be distinguished by the 'R' used by Wells, and the 'Z' belonging to Symcotts. Of the dated extracts the earliest is 1635 (p. 997) and the latest 1659, on a loose receipt between pp. 255 and 258. The principal Authors quoted in the MS. are Johann Hartmann [1568-1631], Sir Theodore Turquet de Mayerne [1573-1655], Oswald Crollius [1580-1609], and Lazarus Riverius [1589-1655]; all of whom were in favour of chemical remedies. Pp. 952-969 contain extracts in Latin and English by the hand of Symcotts headed 'De partu collecta ex Jaq. Guillimeau [sic]' (i.e. Jacques Guillemeau [1550-1613]).

1635-1694

1 volume 4 ll. + 1027 pp. folio. 321/2 x 221/2 cm. Original vellum binding loose: lower cover defective. Pp. 429/32 torn out. Some margins frayed. Paged by double column.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Purchased at Sotheby's 21/4/1943, Lot 333.

References to Sutton and Sandy seem to point to the authorship of John Symcotts, son of John of Sutton who became a Pensioner of Queens College Cambridge in 1608 and was M.D. from King's College 1636. (Cf. Venn 'Alumni Cantabrigienses' Vol. IV.) He was physician to Oliver Cromwell, and died in 1662. Venn also has an entry for a Robert Symcotts, brother of John who was Rector of Sandy 1628-1639, and died in 1639. This brother's name appears on p. 201 'per fratrem R.S.', and on p. 446 'My brother Robert'. No particulars have been traced as to W. Wells. There is a third hand found in the MS., differing from the earlier two scripts. Some of the receipts by this writer are initialled C.H., and one on p. 358 'C. Haslam'. Two on p. 279 are dated 1686 and 1688, and one on p. 1013 'Die ultimo Januarii [16]93/4'. A note in Sotheby's Sale-catalogue 21/4/1943, Lot 333 states: 'This manuscript is attributed to Robt. Crawley, Physician to Oliver Cromwell, but there is no proof of this'. Robert Crawley [1619-1696] is entere

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

For particulars concerning John Symcotts, with some references and extracts from this MS. see Poynter & Bishop: 'A seventeenth century doctor and his patients' (Bedfordshire Historical Record Society, Vol. XXXI, 1951).