Medica Sacra

A fascinating blend of scripture and science, this work surveys the most striking illnesses recorded in the Bible, from the afflictions of Job and the leprosy of ancient Israel to the mysterious “bloody sweat” described at Christ’s crucifixion. Its author, a physician who served the royal court and was elected to the Royal Colleges of London and Edinburgh, treats each case as a medical puzzle, asking how the language of the sacred text matches the anatomy and pathology known in the eighteenth century.

Organised into concise essays, the commentary moves from well‑known figures—Saul, Hezekiah, Nebuchadnezzar—to broader conditions such as old age, paralysis, and demonic possession. Alongside the medical analysis, a brief memoir sketches the scholar’s own life, providing a window onto the intellectual climate that linked theology, natural philosophy, and emerging clinical practice. Listeners will gain an engaging snapshot of how early modern doctors interpreted ancient narratives through the lens of their own diagnostic tools.