Augustin de Angustinius

Augustin de Angustinius

?-?

Vol I

Pg 33

b.? d.?

MD FRCP(1536)

This biography is part of a series of historical obituaries, originally published in print. As products of their time periods, some biographies contain language which is inappropriate and offensive and present biased accounts of physicians’ lives and work that do not disclose unethical and discriminatory behaviour. As an establishment organisation, the RCP, its members, and the way they are written about, have often reflected societal power structures that favour dominant groups. We aim to redress these biases through ongoing work.

Below is the biography as originally published in 1878.

Augustin de Angustinis, M.D., was a Venetian, and was admitted a Fellow of the College about the year 1536. He was Censor subsidiarius in 1541, 1542; Censor in 1543, 1544. He was domestic physician to Cardinal Wolsey; and in the Cottonian M.S. Titus B. I. fol. 365, there is a letter of his to Thomas Cromwell, requiring speedy medical assistance, apparently for Wolsey. It is dated Esher, 19th January, 1529-30. The letter is so badly written, as far as penmanship goes, that it would be difficult to give an exact transcript of it. Augustin begs in it that Master Butts and Master Walter may be sent down as soon as possible, adding in Latin, “Res multum urget. Prudenti et amico pauca.” He wishes leeches, hungry ones, to be procured, and desires that Master Balthasar, or, if he cannot or is unwilling, that some other person may be sent who understands to put them on. He adds, again in Latin, “periculum est in mora,” and signs, Aug. de Ang. It is not known in what year Dr. Ang. entered the Cardinal’s service, but he was certainly acting in that capacity before the 7th January, 1523, under which date he is mentioned in Sanuto’s diaries.

He, with Dr. Chambre, Dr. Butts, and Dr. Cromer, was the author of the volume of Recipes, Sloane MS., British Museum, 1047. He was doubtless, therefore, one of the physicians to Henry VIII.

William Munk

[See Med. Hist. 1975, 19, 215-249]

[P. Also Dr. Ang]

[P. Master Walter - Cromer? – p.31.
Master Balthaser – Guersie? - p.57.]