A sketch of the life of Dr. Duncan Liddel, of Aberdeen / [Anon].

  • Stewart, John.
Date:
1790
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A sketch of the life of Dr. Duncan Liddel, of Aberdeen / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/18 (page 9)
    3* Be Febribus Libriiresi Authore Duncano Liddello Scoto, Hamburgi 16 iof 12 mo. Dr. Liddel dedicates this treatife to Henry Frederic, prince of Scotland and Wales, fon of King James the Vlth, and fubfcribes D. L. Aberdmenfis M. D. It is alfo republilhed by Serranus along with the Ars Mediea, Lug- duni 1624,4/0. 4. Duncani Liddelii Traci at us de Bente Aureo, &c. Hamburgi, ex Biblioth• Frobeniana 1628, nmo. As the fubjed of this treatife is perhaps not generally known, and is fomewhat curious, the following fhort account of it may not be unac¬ ceptable. Jacobus Horftius, dodor and profeflbr of medicine in the Acade¬ mia Julia, at the fame time with our author, publifhed a truly ridiculous performance, and dedicated it to the emperor Rudolphus the fecond • 3S in which from ocular infpedion, and by many learned arguments, he endeavours to vindicate the truth of a popular ftory then current, of a poor boy of Silefia, who at feven years of age having loft feme of his teeth, his parents were aftonilhed at the appearance of a new one of pure gold. Horftius ferioufly looks upon this wonderful tooth as a prodigy fent from heaven to encourage the Germans, then at war with the Turks: from it foretells the future vidories of the Chriftians, with the final deftrudion of the Turkifh Empire and Mahometan faith, and a return of the golden age in 1600, preparatory to the end of the world. This wretched per¬ formance Dr. Liddel takes the trouble to refute, as he fays, for the ho¬ nour of the Academia Julia, and becaufe the reveries of his colleague were obtaining too much credit in that ignorant age. He appears however alhamed to treat the fubjed ferioufly, but employs the powers of irony and ridicule againft his unfortunate opponent with much fuccefs. He fays, he fhould as foon believe that the whole body of the boy was made of gold as one of his teeth, talks of idle dreams and old women’s tales, and hints that the brain of a certain perfon, whom for the fake of C his 35 Ja. HarjHi a r net at. de aureo dente Pueri Silejiiy Lipfta IS 95 •