John Banister (anatomist) facts for kids
John Banister (born 1533, died 1610) was an English doctor and surgeon. He was also a teacher. He wrote an important book about the human body called The Historie of Man in 1578. This book shared knowledge from the best experts of his time.
Contents
The Life of John Banister
John Banister was a skilled surgeon. He even helped King Edward VI when the king was very ill.
In 1563, Banister worked as a surgeon for the English army. They were sent to help the city of Le Havre. On this trip, he met another surgeon named William Clowes. They became good friends and stayed friends for their whole lives.
After returning from the army, Banister studied at Oxford University. He received a special license in 1573. This license allowed him to practice medicine. For several years, he worked as both a doctor and a surgeon in Nottingham.
Later, in 1585, Banister served the country again. He was a surgeon on a ship during a military trip to the Low Countries.
Life in London
After this trip, he moved to London. He lived on Silver Street, near the Hall of the Barber-Surgeons. In 1588, he and William Clowes helped John Read with his book. They often worked together on medical cases.
In 1593, Banister received a special letter from the King. This letter helped him get a license from the College of Physicians in 1594. This license allowed him to practice medicine more freely. However, for very serious cases, he had to ask one of the College's main doctors for help.
John Banister was known for being very kind to people who were poor. He was especially kind to old soldiers. He also read many professional books to keep learning.
John Banister's Legacy
John Banister was buried in St Olave's Church, Silver Street. Sadly, this church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
He had a long poem written for his tombstone. It is thought that his old friend, William Clowes, might have written this poem for him. This shows how close their friendship was.
John Banister's Works
John Banister wrote and edited several important medical books.
In 1585, he edited a book by Hans Jacob Wecker. It was called ‘A Compendious Chyrurgerie’. He added his own corrections to it.
In 1589, he created a collection of remedies and prescriptions. This book was called ‘An Antidotarie Chyrurgicall’. In it, he thanked his friends and fellow surgeons for their help. These friends included George Baker, Robert Balthrop, William Clowes, and Goodrus.
His most famous book was ‘The History of Man’. It was published in 1578. This large book shared knowledge from other famous anatomists. He used ideas from writers like Calametius, Tagaltius, and Wecker. However, his books did not include any cases from his own medical practice.
In 1633, after Banister had passed away, a collection of all his surgical works was published. It was called ‘The Workes of that Famous Chyrurgian, Mr. John Banister’.
See also
- History of anatomy in the 17th and 18th centuries
