Thomas of Wroclaw (1297–1378) – Medieval bishop and scholar of English origin

Abstract

Peter of Tilleberi (Tilbury), later known as bishop Thomas of Wroclaw, after completing his studies (in Bologna or in Montpellier) worked as a physician in northern Italy and probably in Spain. Later through Germany and Bohemia, he came to Wroclaw in 1336 where he joined the Order of St. Dominic. In 1352, Thomas was made an auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Wroclaw. After the episcopal consecration, Thomas stopped living in the abbey, but all the time he was well known both as a priest and physician. He is known as an author of several treatises on medical sciences. His most important work entitled Michi competit (i.e. It suits me) is composed of four parts: Regimen sanitatis (i.e. Hygiene), Aggregatum (i.e. Aggregation), Antidotarium (i.e. Medicine directory) and Practica medicinalis (i.e. Medical practices). Moreover, he is the author of other treatises including, for example, De phlebotomia et de iudiciis cruoris (i.e. On phlebotomy and blood content) and De urinis (i.e. On urine). Some Polish scientists claim that bishop Thomas of Wroclaw with his knowledge and industriousness functioned as a university faculty of medicine even though the University of Cracow had not been established yet.

Keywords

Peter of Tilleberi Thomas of Wroclaw history of medieval medicine history of English medicine

In this article, we intend to describe the prominent priest and physician Thomas of Wroclaw, also known as Peter of Tilleberi (Tilbury). He was born in 1297 and this is unfortunately as much as we know about his early years. He studied medicine probably at the University of Bologna^1,2 or in Montpellier.^3,4 After studies, he worked as a physician in northern Italy and Roman Curia in Avignon^1,2 and probably in Spain.³ Later travelling through Germany and Bohemia, he came to Silesia. Existing documents prove that he arrived in Wroclaw in 1336. It is also known that there he joined the Order of St. Dominic. Having left that Order, he became a canon of St. Vincent Abbey of the Order of Premontre. At that time, he was well known both as a priest and physician (Figure 1).

In 1350, he was appointed the chaplain of Duke Bolesław III of Brzeg and Legnica. In return for his highly appreciated medical services, the duke awarded Thomas ducal revenues and taxes. In 1352, Thomas was made a bishop, given the titular See of Sarepta (now Sarafand, a city on the coast of Lebanon, about 8 miles south of Sidon) and made auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Wroclaw.¹ After the episcopal consecration, Thomas stopped living in the abbey; however, he did not move far away maintaining close relationship with his companions. His medical career was duly recognised, as in spring 1364, in gratitude for Thomas’s medical services, the Emperor Charles IV during his visit to Wroclaw granted him with a tax relief in relation to the village of Opatowice that he owned (Figure 2). He died in 1378 at the age of 81.

He is known as an author of several treatises on medical sciences. His most important work entitled Michi competit (i.e. It suits me) (Figure 3) is composed of four parts: Regimen sanitatis (i.e. Hygiene), Aggregatum (i.e. Aggregation), Antidotarium (i.e. Medicine directory) and Practica medicinalis (i.e. Medical practices). Moreover, he is the author of other treatises including, for example, De phlebotomia et de iudiciis cruoris (i.e. On phlebotomy and blood content) and De urinis (i.e. On urine). Others, mentioned in different sources, have unfortunately been lost.

Figure 1.

Thomas of Wroclaw (1297–1378).

Figure 2.

Basrelief portrait of Bishop, Wroclaw-Olbin, St. Vincent’s Abbey of the Order of Premontre (nowadays: St. Mary-Madelaine Church in Wrocław).

Figure 3.

Page from the textbook Michi competit presenting the naked man and indicate places for phlebotomy.

In his writings, he followed in the footsteps of his predecessors. Citing men of previous generations as well as noted physicians of past centuries in his works, Thomas presents his great respect for authority. It concerns ancient authorities (Hippocrates and Galen), Arabic authors (Avicenna, Hally Abbas and Mesue the Elder) and also the physicians of the previous generations (Bernard de Gordon, Gilbert the Englishman and William de Piacenza or Saliceto). In the Regimen sanitatis, Thomas focuses on the need to know the human body and the way it functions in order to maintain good health. He also mentions other things necessary to keep bodily health, drink and rest and the order and proportions of these.

Aggregatum is a rather short book of simple medicines. Thomas introduces the categorisation of medicines according to their degree of quality (e.g. hot, cold, dry and moist) providing an index of medicines listed in line with these categories. They are described in alphabetical order. For each medicine, Thomas gives information on the manner in which it is applied and for which ailment or disease it is beneficial.

Antidotarium is a book of compound medicines. First, there is an explanation for the reader about two reasons why compounded medicines are needed. In Thomas’s view, an illness can be caused by diverse humours and therefore relevant medicine, which can combat these, is necessary. Second, the strength of the medicine must be taken into consideration. A simple medicine may be too weak to both reach the source of illness and combat it effectively. Consequently, additional substance may sometimes be required to speed the medicine to wherever it is needed. Compound medicine can take the following form: decoctions, cordials, plasters, pills, powders, syrups and ointments.

His main work Practica medicinalis contains 112 chapters and, like many other medieval manuals, it begins with ailments of the head and proceeds down through the body to the legs. The book also presents the ways ailments should be cured. Thomas uses not only Latin terms, but he names medicines, and herbs in particular, in several languages: Italian, French, German, Bohemian and Polish. Also English terms can be found, like, for example, grundeswilia. It demonstrates Thomas’s exceptional abilities and his interest in local culture while practising as a physician in many European countries. He must have been well aware of European cultural and linguistic divergences.

Ophthalmologists would probably be most attracted by descriptions of eye ailments included in this work. Thomas’s interest in ocular problems was briefly mentioned only once in the scientific literature.⁵ The following chapters are devoted to ophthalmic diseases:

Capitulum 13 De conservacione oculorum (i.e. On eye protection)

Capitulum 14 De visus defectu vel debilitate (i.e. On defective or weak vision)

Capitulum 15 Multiplexa causa doloris oculorum (i.e. Multiple causes of ophthalmic pain)

Capitulum 16 De dolore oculorum absquae obtalmia (i.e. On ophthalmic pain in absence of inflammation)

Classified and described ophthalmic diseases concern mainly the ailments of anterior segment of the eye. However, he also mentions diseases related to other ailments of the eyeball, inflammations and weak eyesight. Although not very precise and sometimes too general, his descriptions of diseases make it possible to define the ailment in question with a considerable probability. The book about diseases is well arranged and, for example, in chapter 14, devoted to weak eyesight, Thomas mentions as the first cause of this ailment the fact that eyesight becomes weaker in the process of growing old. According to him moisture troubles occurring in the eye should be perceived as the next cause of poor eyesight. He believes that the tendency of the human body to run dry contributes to weak eyesight. Finally, he claims that poor eyesight results from weakened visual spirit. Thomas recommends different medicines mainly of mineral and herbal origin for each particular cause. In the following chapters of this extensive treatise, he lists other ways of curing various ophthalmic diseases.

It is phlebotomy that occupies a very special place in the therapy. It becomes the main subject of another of Thomas’s works entitled De phlebotomia et de iudiciis cruoris. This work includes a chapter devoted to the description and guidelines for the application of phlebotomy in some eye diseases. In this therapy, Thomas recommends to cut the veins running through the middle part of the forehead and the veins located in the medial canthus. It should be underlined that Thomas of Wroclaw both in Regimen sanitatis and his Practica medicinalis in the chapter entitled De Direccionibus (i.e. About recommendations) pays particular attention to the hygiene and physician’s duties. In his recommendations, he refers to Aphorisms by Hippocrates.

The content of Thomas’s works clearly proves his profound and versatile medical educational background and his erudition. As mentioned above, he was familiar with practically all medical works known at that time. Due to this fact, it is often said in a slightly playful manner that Thomas of Wroclaw with his knowledge and industriousness functioned as a university faculty of medicine even though the University of Cracow had not yet been established.² He favoured Polish beer and liked a Polish diet.

Manuscript copies of his medical works are preserved in the libraries in several cities in Central Europe such as Cracow, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Dresden, Erfurt and Leipzig.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that before the First World War, Thomas attracted the interest of such German scholars as Sudhoff and Henschel, which is shown in the bibliography devoted to his works. It is however beyond doubt that greatest credit for popularising scientific achievements of the bishop should be given to Father T.J. Antry, O. Praem of St. John Neumann High School in Philadelphia, and Prof. J. Burchardt, Polish Academy of Science in Warsaw.^1,2

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Author biographies

Lech Bieganowski MD. PhD, studied medical science in Academy of Medicine in Gdansk in the years 1958–1964. After obtaining medical diploma, he specialised in ophthalmology. From 1977 till 2005 he was appointed Head of the Department of Ophthalmology in Regional Hospital in city of Torun. At the time he was also Regional Consultant of Ophthalmology in Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region. He lectured on the history of medicine in the Faculty of History of Nicolaus Copernicus University of Torun. He is also a researcher of the history of medicine in Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz – Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. He has published over 90 articles both on clinical aspects of ophthalmology and the history of medicine (in Poland, Germany, Netherlands and USA). He is a member of Committee of History of Medical Sciences of Polish Academy of Sciences, Polish Ophthalmological Society and Polish Society of History of Medicine and Pharmacy. He is also a member of Editorial Board of the Archives of the History and Philosophy of Medicine, the oldest Polish journal of the history of medical sciences.

Andrzej Grzybowski M.D., Ph.D., MBA, is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Chair of Department of Ophthalmology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland and Head of Department of Ophthalmology at Poznań City Hospital, Poland. He is active in international scientific societies including Euretina (Board member), AAO, ISBCS, ICO (programme coordinator for WCO in 2011–2016), Cogan Society, EVER, ESCRS (curator of ESCRS Archive), and representative of Poland at ISRS (International Society of Refractive Surgery) International Council (2015). For his research and other activities he became lifelong member (chair LIV) of the European Academy of Ophthalmology (http://www.eao.eu). He delivered invited lectures in many national and international ophthalmic meetings, including Italy, Spain, France, UK, Germany, USA, India, South Africa, Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan. Prof. Grzybowski is on the Editorial Board of several international medical, ophthalmic and historical journals. He is editor in chief of Archives of History and Philosophy of Medicine (journal founded in 1926) and Historia Ophthalmologica Internationals (). He has been active editor, and author of more than 300 peer-reviewed international publications (total IF higher than 550), and reviewer for more than 20 journals.

References

Thomae de Wratislavia. Practica medicinalis. A critical edition of the “Practica medicinalis” of Thomas of Wroclaw, Prémontré Bishop of Sarepta (1297–c.1378) by Theodore James Antry, O. Praem., Studia Copernicana, vol. 27, Ossolineum, Wroclaw, 1989, pp.11–28.

Burchardt J. Higiena wedle Tomasza z Wroclawia, Studia Copernicana, vol. 36, Ossolineum, Wroclaw, 1997, p.38.

Czartoryski P. Lekarze slascy XIV wieku. In: Historia Nauki Polskiej, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich Wroclaw, 1970, pp.103–104.

Brzezinski

. Polskie peregrynacje po dyplomy lekarskie, Warszawa: Retro-Art, 1999, pp. 25–25.

Bieganowski L. Anatomia oka i mechanizm widzenia w ujeciu sredniowiecznych uczonych Ibn al – Haythama (Alhazena) i Witelona, TNT, Torun, 2001, pp.131–133.