John Caius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Caius
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 6 October 1510 |
| Died | 29 July 1573 (aged 62) London, England
|
| Nationality | English |
| Alma mater | Gonville Hall, Cambridge University of Padua |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine |
| Institutions | Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge |
| Academic advisors | Montanus Vesalius |
John Caius (born John Kays; 6 October 1510 – 29 July 1573) was an important English doctor. He was also known as Johannes Caius or Ioannes Caius. He helped reshape and rename Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, making it a famous place for learning.
Contents
Who Was John Caius?
His Early Life and Education
John Caius was born in Norwich, England. He went to Norwich School when he was young. In 1529, he started studying at Gonville Hall, a college in Cambridge. There, he mostly focused on religious studies.
After finishing his studies in 1533, Caius traveled to Italy. He learned from famous teachers like Montanus and Vesalius in a city called Padua. In 1541, he earned his degree as a doctor from the University of Padua.
In 1543, he visited many parts of Italy, Germany, and France. Then he returned to England. When he came back, he changed his last name from Kays to Caius. This was a popular thing to do at the time.
His Career as a Doctor
John Caius became a doctor in London in 1547. He was accepted as a member of the Royal College of Physicians. He later became the president of this important group many times.
In 1551, he was in Shrewsbury when a serious illness called the "sweating sickness" spread. The next year, he wrote a book about it. This book, called A Boke or Counseill Against the Disease Commonly Called the Sweate, or Sweatyng Sicknesse (1552), became the main source of information about this sickness. Today, we think this illness was a type of influenza.
Changing Gonville Hall to Gonville and Caius College
In 1557, Caius was a doctor for Queen Mary. He decided to make his old college, Gonville Hall, much bigger. He changed its name to "Gonville and Caius College." He also gave it a lot of money and land. He even added a whole new court to the college.
He became the head of the college, called the Master, on January 24, 1559. He stayed in this role until about a month before he passed away.
Caius was also a doctor to three English monarchs: King Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. In 1568, he left his position as Queen Elizabeth's doctor.
He was chosen as president of the College of Physicians nine times. He wrote a manuscript about this, called Annales collegii medicorum 1520-1565.
John Caius returned to Cambridge for a few days in June 1573. This was about a month before he died. He then gave up his role as Master of the college. He passed away at his home in London on July 29, 1573. His body was brought back to Cambridge and buried in the college chapel.
What Did John Caius Leave Behind?
Advancing Medical Science
Caius was a very smart, active, and kind person. In 1557, he built a monument in St Paul's Cathedral to honor another doctor, Thomas Linacre.
In 1564, he got special permission for Gonville and Caius College. This permission allowed the college to take the bodies of two criminals each year for dissection. This was a big step forward in learning about the human body. It helped advance the science of anatomy.
He also designed and gave a special silver staff, called a caduceus, to Caius College. It is still part of the college's important items today.
_(C24a27).jpg)
His Contributions to Natural History
John Caius was also a pioneer in studying nature. He didn't just read old books. He went out to observe and record unusual animals himself. Because of this, he can be seen as an early expert in zoology, which is the study of animals.
He wrote letters to a Swiss naturalist named Conrad Gesner. They became friends while Caius was returning from Padua. Caius wrote a study about British dogs to send to Gesner. He also sent drawings of dogs, which were later printed in Gesner's famous book, Historiae animalium.
Caius's last major writing was a history of Cambridge University. It was called Historia Cantabrigiensis Academiae (London, 1574).
See also
- Thomas Caius, Master of University College, Oxford (1561–1572)
- Bloodhound
