Ralph Winterton facts for kids

Ralph Winterton (born 1600, died 1636) was a smart English doctor, scholar, and humanist. A humanist was someone who studied and valued human achievements and classical learning. Towards the end of his life, he became a special professor at Cambridge University called the Regius Professor of Physic. This was a very important job in medicine.

Early Life and Education

Ralph Winterton was born in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. His father was Francis Winterton. Ralph went to a famous school called Eton College. On June 3, 1617, he became a scholar at King's College, Cambridge, and later a fellow there on June 3, 1620. He started at the university on July 5, 1617, and earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1620, followed by his master's degree (M.A.) in 1624.

At one point, Ralph was having trouble sleeping and felt very sad. He talked to Dr. John Collins, who was the Regius Professor of Physic at the time. Dr. Collins told him to stop focusing on mathematics, which he was studying, and instead learn medicine. Ralph took this advice and began his journey into the world of healing.

Becoming a Doctor

In 1625, Ralph Winterton wanted to become the professor of Greek, but someone else was chosen. After this, in 1629, he officially decided to focus on studying medicine, which he had already been doing for four years.

He got his license to practice medicine from the university in 1631. He then tried to get his M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree from King's College. This was a bit tricky, and his request was turned down at first. Important people like Bishop John Williams and the Earl of Holland wrote letters to support him. Finally, with help from Archbishop William Laud, he received his M.D. degree within two weeks in December 1633.

His important book, Hippocratis Magni Aphorismi, helped him become the Regius Professor of Physic in 1635. This was a big achievement! He also made sure that students couldn't easily get their M.D. degrees from other universities and then transfer them to Cambridge, making the Cambridge degree more valuable.

Ralph Winterton passed away on September 13, 1636, in Cambridge. He was buried in the chapel of King's College.

Ralph Winterton's Writings

Ralph Winterton was a very busy writer and translator. He worked on many different kinds of books.

Medical Works

In 1631, he created a Greek version of the first books of aphorisms by Hippocrates. Aphorisms are short, wise sayings, especially about medicine. In 1633, he published a book called ‘Hippocratis Magni Aphorismi Soluti et Metrici’. This book included Hippocrates' original sayings, a Latin translation, and his own versions in Latin and Greek poetry. Another doctor, John Fryer, also contributed Latin verses to the book.

Many famous doctors and scholars praised Winterton's medical work. They wrote poems and positive reviews that were included in his book.

Other Important Books

• In 1627, Winterton translated a book called ‘Meditations’ by Johann Gerhard. This book was very popular and was printed many times.
• After his brother Francis died in 1631 while serving in the army, Ralph was very sad. To cope, he translated a book called Considerations of Drexelius upon Eternitie by Jeremias Drexel. This book was also very popular and had many editions.
• In 1632, he translated another book by Johann Gerhard called A Golden Chaine of Divine Aphorismes.
• He also worked on classical texts. In 1633, he published an edition of plays by Terence, a famous Roman playwright. He also published an edition of a Greek poem called De Situ Orbis by Dionysius Periegetes, which was about the geography of the world.
• One of his biggest projects was an edition of the Poetæ minores Græci (Minor Greek Poets). He added his own notes to this collection. It was published in 1635 and reprinted many times.
• He also wrote Greek poems for other books, like Arithmetica Memorativa by William Buckley in 1631, and for special university collections in 1635.

Ralph Winterton's Legacy

Ralph Winterton wrote his will on August 25, 1636. He left gifts to his family members, including his parents, brothers, and sisters. To his brother John, who was also studying medicine, he left important medical books and his anatomy tools. This shows how much he cared about his family and his passion for medicine.