Sir Thomas Browne: A Polymath of the 17th Century

By Gavin Francis

Dr. Gavin Francis, a modern-day medic, has penned a compelling book about the resonance he finds in the work of Sir Thomas Browne, a polymath of the 17th century. Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682) was an English physician, scholar, and polymath who contributed significantly to the English language, adding words such as “medical,” “electricity,” “migrant,” and “computer.” After studying medicine in Montpellier, Padua, and Leiden, he settled in Norwich, where he practiced as a doctor and wrote some of the most influential books of the 17th century, which are still read today for their accessibility and eloquence.

In “Sir Thomas Browne: The Opium of Time,” Dr. Francis examines Browne’s work through a variety of themes: ambiguity, curiosity, vitality, piety, humility, misogyny, mobility, and mortality. He argues that Browne’s work has lost little of its power and wisdom, and none of its beauty, over the centuries.

“Religio Medici” (“Religion of the Doctor”) examined the vexed question of faith in a God who, to a physician, seemed indifferent to suffering. “Pseudodoxia Epidemica” (“Vulgar Errors”) gave free rein to an agile curiosity and sought to debunk notions then commonly believed, such as that dead kingfishers indicate the direction of the wind, or that a woman could get pregnant from sharing a bath with a man. “Urne Buriall” was Browne’s meditation on mortality, occasioned by a find of funerary urns, while “Museum Clausum” (“Hidden Museum”) sets out a series of thought experiments and counterfactuals, such as how history might have been different had Alexander the Great marched west instead of east.

Dr. Francis draws on his own experiences as a 21st-century writer and doctor to discover that although many centuries separate him from Browne, they share a fundamental curiosity about the world and about people. This book is a testament to the enduring relevance of Browne’s work and the timeless nature of human curiosity.

Product Details:

Published by Oxford University Press (August 25, 2023)

Language: English

Hardcover: 176 pages

ISBN-10: 0192858173

ISBN-13: 978-0192858177