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Ent, George

1. Dates
Born: Sandwich, Kent, 6 Nov. 1604
Died: London, 13 Oct. 1689
Dateinfo: Dates Certain
Lifespan: 85
2. Father
Occupation: Merchant
Josias Ent was a merchant who immigrated into England from the low countries.
No information on financial status.
3. Nationality
Birth: English
Career: English
Death: English
4. Education
Schooling: Cambridge, M.A.; Padua, M.D.
A school at Rotterdam.
Cambridge University, 1624-31; Sidney Sussex College; B.A. 1627; M.A. 1631.
University of Padua, 1631-6. M.D., 1636.
Incorporated M.D. at Oxford, 1638 (I won't list this).
5. Religion
Affiliation: Pur
I admit this is a bit of a guess. The family came to England as religious refugees. Ent attended the quintessential Puritan college, Sidney Sussex. He stayed in London (with no hint of unhappiness) throughout the Civil War. He conformed apparently to the establishment at the Restoration.
6. Scientific Disciplines
Primary: Physiology
Subordinate: Anatomy
Ent published a defense of Harvey, Apologia pro circulatione sanguinis, 1641, in which he showed the influence also of hermetic authors and concepts of innate heat, which seem to look forward to Mayow.
He also composed some minor anatomical works published as part of one of Charleton's books.
7. Means of Support
Primary: Medicine
Medical practice in London, 1636-89.
8. Patronage
Types: Aristrocrat, Court Official
Ent dedicated Apologia pro circulatione to the Earl of Lincoln.
Granted a knighthood by Charles II in 1665 after an anatomy lecture at the College of Physicians at which the King was present.
9. Technological Involvement
Types: Medical Practice, Pharmacology
Ent was one of three fellows of the College of Physicians who supervised the revised edition of the Pharmacopoeia londonensis, 1650.
10. Scientific Societies
Memberships: Royal Society, Medical College
Informal connections: Friendship with Harvey from their chance meeting in Rome in 1636. He was one of the first writers to compose a detailed defense of Harvey. In 1648 he persuaded the elderly Harvey to release the manuscript of De Generatione which Ent edited and published with a commendatory preface in 1651. His transcript of Harvey's correspondence was used in the College of Physicians edition of Harvey's works in 1766. In Harvey's will, Ent was charged with dispersing his library in the College of Physicians.
Royal Society, 1660-89. Ent was one of the founding fellows and was named to the original Council in the charter of 1662.
Royal College of Physicians, 1639. President, seven years between 1670 and 1684. Censor, 22 years between 1645-69.
Sources
  1. William Munk, Royal College of Physicians of London, 1, 223-227.
  2. R773 .L62R88 Charles Webster, "The College of Physicians: 'Solomon's House' in Commonwealth England," Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 41, 393-412, R131 .A1J6 Dictionary of National Biography (repr., London: Oxford University Press, 1949-1950), 6, 795-6.
Compiled by:
Richard S. Westfall
Department of History and Philosophy of Science
Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.

     
©1995 Al Van Helden
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