John Read (surgeon) facts for kids
John Read was an English surgeon and writer who lived in the late 1500s. He was known for his efforts to improve the field of surgery in England.
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About John Read's Life
In 1587, John Read lived in Gloucester, England. He helped take action against a "quack" doctor there. A quack is someone who pretends to be a doctor but isn't properly trained. Soon after, in 1588, Read moved to London. He received a special license to work as a surgeon in the city. This meant he was officially allowed to perform medical operations.
John Read's Writings and Goals
John Read was part of a group of surgeons during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. These surgeons wanted to make the field of surgery better in England. They wrote books in English to share their knowledge. They also worked to clearly separate real surgeons from quacks. Other important surgeons who shared these goals included John Banester, William Clowes, Thomas Gale, and John Halle.
Read's Important Book
In 1588, Read published a special book. It was a collection of different medical writings. Part of the book was a translation of an important surgical text by Franciscus Arceus. Read also added his own writings to the book.
One part was a poem by Read called A Complaint of the Abuses of the Noble Art of Chirurgerie. The book also included a section on treating a condition called fistula by John Arderne. Plus, it had a version of the Hippocratic oath, which is a promise doctors make to treat patients ethically.
Hopes for Surgery's Future
Read dedicated his book to his fellow surgeons, Banester and Clowes, and to William Pickering. His book expressed important hopes for the future of surgery. He believed that barbers, who often performed small medical tasks, should be separate from surgeons. He also thought surgeons should have a good understanding of medicine. These ideas took a long time to become reality in Britain. The separation of barbers and surgeons happened in 1745. Surgeons fully understanding medicine became common much later, in 1868.
John Read's Family
On June 24, 1588, John Read married Cicily. She was the daughter of his fellow surgeon, John Banester.
