Francis Anthony facts for kids

Francis Anthony (born April 16, 1550 – died May 26, 1623) was a doctor and chemist who lived a long time ago. His father, Derrick Anthony, was a goldsmith in London. He even worked for Queen Elizabeth I, handling her jewels! Francis went to the University of Cambridge and earned a special degree in 1574. He spent many years studying chemistry.

"Drinkable Gold" Medicine

Francis Anthony started working as a doctor in London. However, he did not have a special permission, called a license, from the College of Physicians. After six months, the College told him to stop practicing medicine. When he didn't listen, they fined him and sent him to prison! He was released by a powerful judge, but the College put him back in prison. Francis finally agreed to stop.

Later, he was again in trouble for the same reason. He refused to pay a large fine and stayed in prison for eight months. His wife helped him get out in 1602 by saying they were poor. But Francis kept practicing medicine anyway! The College of Physicians threatened him again, but they didn't do anything. This was probably because Francis had important friends in the royal court.

Francis Anthony's main work was selling a secret medicine called "Aurum Potabile." This Latin name means "Drinkable Gold." He made a lot of money from this special remedy.

Francis Anthony's Family Life

Francis Anthony married a woman named Susan Howe. He passed away on May 26, 1623. He had two sons, John and Charles.

John also became a doctor in London. Charles practiced medicine in a town called Bedford. People who wrote about Francis Anthony said he was a very good person. They also said he was very kind and generous to people who were poor.

His Final Resting Place

Francis Anthony died when he was 73 years old. He was buried in a church called St. Bartholomew the Great. There is a beautiful monument there to remember him. It has a special message carved into it.

The message on his monument talks about how good and smart he was. It says that his strong beliefs, good character, and medical skills made him famous. Even though some people were jealous of him, his invention of a medicine made from pure gold helped many people.

Francis Anthony's career and his arguments with the College of Physicians show us what it was like to be a doctor in the 1600s. The College didn't like him because he kept his medicine a secret. They also didn't like that he claimed it could cure all diseases.

Francis was a smart man. He wrote several small books to defend his "Drinkable Gold." In these books, he mentioned other chemists and thinkers like Paracelsus and Conrad Gessner. He tried to explain that metals, especially gold, could be excellent medicines. He believed his method could turn gold into a liquid that would be a universal medicine.

However, his opponents disagreed. They said that metals were not better than other medicines. They also said that gold was not especially powerful. They believed there was no such thing as a medicine that could cure everything. They also argued that Francis's method did not actually dissolve gold.

Francis wanted to show how his process worked to some special witnesses. A test actually happened at the College of Physicians in 1609. Important people, like Thomas Lord Knyvet, who was in charge of making coins, watched. Francis was given an ounce of gold, but his method failed to dissolve it during the test.