Astrological casebooks

Astrological casebooks (Casebook), 1599

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This is one of the cases treated by Simon Forman (1552-1611), a middling man who became a physician and astrologer. Originally from Salisbury, he was educated at the local grammar school and then became an apprentice hosier and grocer, keeping up his studies after hours. Later, he attended the University of Oxford, whilst also working as a servant. He then taught at various schools, worked as a carpenter, studied astronomy and even spent time in prison (for possessing magic books). Forman is, however, remembered for his life as a physician because he kept notebooks known as 'casebooks.' They detailed his patients, their ailments and their treatments.

Here, a particular case recorded in the top left-hand corner, dated 9am Sunday 28 July 1599, is an ‘horary’ consultation (where a chart is drawn up for the exact time a question is posed). Here the patient asked: whether the fleet of Spain or Any enemy will come Against England this year or no[t] before all hallow tide next. This reflects a widespread concern with international politics and the particular threat from Roman Catholic forces a decade after the Spanish Armada had been deflected.

Object Type	Casebook
Year	1599
Material	Manuscript
Owned By	University of Cambridge MS Ashmole 219, f. 115v [CASE5749]
Keywords	writing; recording; remembering; belief; administration; occupation; health; science; superstition; travel; Salisbury; manuscript
Image Credit	University of Cambridge MS Ashmole 219, f. 115v [CASE54749]. Used by permission of Cambridge Digital Library Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 3.0).

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