In this book, Gavin Francis writes about the resonance for him as a medic in reading the work of early modern polymath Sir Thomas Browne. Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682) was an English physician, wordsmith, and polymath who contributed hundreds of words to the English language (such as medical, electricity, migrant, and computer). After studying medicine in Montpellier, Padua, and Leiden, he settled in Norwich, where he practised as a doctor and wrote some of the greatest books of the seventeenth century, still read for their accessibility and eloquence. In Sir Thomas Browne: The Opium of Time, Dr Gavin Francis examines Browne's work through a variety of themes: ambiguity, curiosity, vitality, piety, humility, misogyny, mobility, and mortality. He argues that the work has lost little of its power and wisdom, and none of its beauty. 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. Gavin Francis draws on his own experiences as a twenty-first 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.

About the Author
Gavin Francis qualified in medicine from Edinburgh in 1999, then spent ten years travelling, visiting all seven continents. He is the author of seven award-winning books of non-fiction including Adventures in Human Being, Island Dreams, and Recovery: the Lost Art of Convalescence. His work has been translated into eighteen languages. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. He lives in Edinburgh, where he also works as a general practitioner.

Reviews
[S]plendid...[an] excellent panegyric. * John Quinn, The Tablet *
It always good to read something coming towards Browne from several directions at once. And especially the sympathies of a medical man, writer, and general practitioner. * Iain Sinclair *
The biographical material and quotes from his writings accompany the beautifully written analysis, creating a book that reads well and is a fine introduction to the life and work of this remarkable seventeenth century physician. * Arpan K. Banerjee, Solihull, UK, Hektoen International *
In Sir Thomas Browne: The opium of time,...autobiography and intellectual history are woven together under the conceptual generosity of eight thematic chapters and two letters to its subject. * Georgina Wilson, Times Literary Supplement *
A compelling read ... Gavin Francis's perspective on Browne's life and works ... beautifully encapsulate[s] the complexity of [Browne's] character. * Nick Golding, Church Times *
This slim volume forms part of a series of biographies whose authors express deeply rooted ties with their subjects and who share something of themselves and their own experiences to add an autobiographical dimension. The formula works and the result is a compelling read. * Revd Richard Greatrex, Church Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9780192858177
Author Gavin Francis
Format Hardback
Page Count 176
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 346g
Dimensions(mm) 224mm * 145mm * 15mm