Ruthven, William (& others)

Collection of iatrochemical receipts and notes on medicine in Latin and English. The first part, possibly by Ruthven himself, is followed by 'Experimenta' of Sir Robert Killigrew. With other receipts. Some headings and many marginal notes in red. Contents: (1) De mercurio vitae varia ex relatione D. Ruthuen. (ff. 2, 3) (2) Iatrochemical receipts and notes on medicine, perhaps written by Ruthven himself. (ff. 22-88) (3) Sequentia ex variis confabulationibus habitis cum D. Ruthueno. (ff. 88v-94) (4) Medical receipts in English by a different hand. (ff. 101-115) (5) Experimenta Equitis D. Roberti Killigrew, ab ipso probata. (ff. 117-122) (6) Great Cordiall. Sir Robert Killegrew. 1630. (fol. 123) (7) Medical receipts in English: by the same hand as No. 4 (ff. 124, 125) Nos. 1,3, and perhaps 6, together with the marginal annotations to No. 2 are by the same hand, whose initials 'RVT' are given in a monogram on ff. 46, 47v, 48, 54 and 69v. An inscription on the spine is: 'RVT Cl[assis] g'. The date 1613 occurs on fol. 64.

1612-1630

1 volume 130 ll. (first, & last 5 bl.). 4to. 21 x 16 cm. Original vellum binding: silk ties wanting.

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 1932.

The Ruthven mentioned twice (No. 1 and No. 3) is probably William Ruthven, a son of William Ruthven, fourth Lord Ruthven and Earl of Gowrie [1541?-1584]. The D.N.B. in a notice of the father states that the son after James I's order for his arrest in 1603 'escaped, and went to the continent where he gained a high reputation by his scientific requirements'.

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).