Natural Philosophy
Physicians of the early modern period were interested in many other scientific subjects. To earn a higher degree in medicine, they would have already studied the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, and music. Furthermore, many theories that formed the basis of early modern medicine originated in classical philosophy and natural history.
Given this close connection between medicine and what we would consider the natural sciences, it’s not a surprise that many physicians published in a wide variety of subjects. These texts shed light on the intellectual world of the early modern period, providing context for the milieu in which physicians studied, practiced and published.
