
Thomas Arthur
FREE Catholic Classes
A celebrated Catholic physician of the seventeenth century, born at Limerick, 1593, died c. 1666. Very little is known of his career, the few facts on record being chiefly related by himself in a genealogical account in Latin elegiacs, preserved in the British Museum (Additional manuscripts 31,885), and in a manuscript diary of considerable interest, also in Latin, which gives particulars of his numerous cases. This diary shows him to have been held in the highest esteem as a physician. Arthur sometimes called himself Thomas Arthur FitzWilliam, his father's name being William. He was educated at Bordeaux and subsequently studied medicine in Paris. He returned to Ireland in 1619, and in May of that year started to practise his profession in Limerick. He succeeded so well that on the invitation of various influential people he settled in Dublin, in 1624. When the English physicians failed to relieve Archbishop Ussher of a serious complaint from which he suffered Arthur was summoned to Drogheda to take charge of the case. With the "pseudo-primas Ardmachanus", as he calls him, he stayed for some time subsequent to 22 March, 1625 and accompanied him to Lambay Island for the cure. He was most successful, and his reputation as a skilful physician was enormously enhanced by this case. He received a fee of fifty-one pounds, then justly considered a munificent reward. He himself says that the cure made him famous among the English, whom he heartily disliked "for the sake of the Catholic religion". In his diary he mentions another case for which he was paid ten pounds by the Marquis of Ormonde. In his diary he occasionally alludes to the affairs of Ireland but only in the briefest possible way. His Catholic feelings are everywhere shown. Among his patients was Charles Fleetwood, Commander-in-Chief of the English forces in Ireland, at whose request he wrote a treatise on the disease from which that soldier was suffering. The only writer who seems to have made use of Arthur's manuscript is Maurice Lenihan in his "History of Limerick ", where one or two epigrams are quoted.
FREE Catholic Classes Pick a class, you can learn anything

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
Saint of the Day for Friday, July 1st, 2022
-
Bible
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
St. Junipero Serra
-
The Apostles' Creed
-
Act of Contrition
-
Prayer of the Day for Friday, July 1
-
Prayer for the Dead
-
Popular Prayers
What does ranching have to do with Catholic education?
-
Montana Ranch and Cattle: Sustainable ranching is what we do
-
Is there anything we can do to get you to support FREE Catholic education?
-
Pope Francis' World Meeting of Families' Message
-
On the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Mary and the Early Fathers
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Saturday, July 02, 2022
St. Bernardino Realino: Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 02, 2022
Prayer for Employment: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, July 02, 2022
- Daily Readings for Friday, July 01, 2022
- St. Junipero Serra: Saint of the Day for Friday, July 01, 2022
- Prayer of the Chalice: Prayer of the Day for Friday, July 01, 2022
To all our readers,
Please don't scroll past this. We interrupt your reading to humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online School's independence. 98% of our readers don't give; they look the other way. If you are an exceptional reader who has already donated, we sincerely thank you. If you donate just $10.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online School could keep thriving for years. Most people donate because Catholic Online School is useful. If Catholic Online School has given you $10.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. Show the world that access to Catholic education matters to you. Thank you.Help Now >
Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.