Thomas Coxe facts for kids

Thomas Coxe (born 1615, died 1685) was an important English doctor. He went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, a famous university, and earned his degrees there. He was one of the very first members of the Royal Society, a group for scientists. Later in his life, he faced some money problems.

About Thomas Coxe

Thomas Coxe was born in Somerset, England. He followed in his father's footsteps, who was also named Thomas Coxe. He studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, starting in 1633. He earned his first degree in 1635 and a master's degree in 1638. He then traveled to Padua, Italy, where he earned his medical doctor (MD) degree in 1641. Later, he also became a recognized doctor at Oxford University in England.

Working as a Doctor

During the First English Civil War, Thomas Coxe worked as a doctor for the Parliament's army. He is thought to have inspired Thomas Sydenham, another famous doctor, to study medicine. Coxe was also connected to a group of thinkers called the Hartlib circle. He even visited Sarah Wight, a woman who fasted for 75 days in 1647, showing his interest in different religious groups of the time.

In 1649, Coxe became a member of the College of Physicians, a respected group for doctors. Around 1655, he hired John Janeway, a Puritan scholar, to teach in his home. He also talked with Henry Oldenburg, an important scientist, in the late 1650s. Coxe even helped Robert Boyle, a famous chemist, with his writings about poisons.

Important Roles

In 1658, Thomas Coxe was asked to check on the health of Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick, a nobleman. Coxe called in another surgeon, Richard Wiseman, who said the Earl was not in danger. In 1660, Coxe gave a special speech called the Harveian oration at the College of Physicians. In 1662, he was named one of the first members of the Royal Society, a very important scientific group.

From 1676 to 1680, Coxe was the Treasurer of the College of Physicians. In 1682, he was chosen to be its President. Coxe, along with other doctors, made sure that the college was fair in allowing nonconformist ministers (religious leaders who didn't follow the main church) to practice medicine. He was also a close friend of William Waller, a military leader, and helped manage his will after he died.

Coxe became a doctor for King Charles II in 1665. However, some of his ideas were not popular. His time as President of the college in the 1680s lasted only one year because he was seen as an early "Whig." Whigs were a political group who wanted more power for Parliament, not just the King. As president, he ordered the printing of lectures by Walter Charleton about the heart, which was unusual at the time.

Sadly, Thomas Coxe faced money problems when he was older. To avoid people he owed money to, he went to France. He passed away there in 1685 from a sudden illness.

Scientific Work

Blood Transfusion Experiments

Starting in 1665, a group in the Royal Society began to explore the idea of blood transfusion (moving blood from one living thing to another). This idea came from John Wilkins. Thomas Coxe first worked on pigeons to understand this process.

After a public demonstration with Edmund King in 1666, Coxe wrote about an experiment in a scientific paper called Philosophical Transactions in 1667. He described how they successfully transferred blood between two dogs, a spaniel and a mongrel. The way he wrote about this experiment was later used in a play called The Virtuoso by Thomas Shadwell.

Family

Thomas Coxe's son, also named Thomas, also went to Cambridge and became a doctor. His daughter Mary married Thomas Rolt and was the mother of Samuel Rolt, who became a Member of Parliament. She later married Sir Thomas Rolt of Sacombe and was the mother of Edward Rolt, who also became a Member of Parliament. Richard Baxter, a famous religious leader, wrote a special sermon in 1680 for Coxe's wife, Mary, after she passed away. In his writing, Baxter mentioned that he was one of Dr. Coxe's patients.