Lusitanus, Amatus (Rodrigues, Joao)

1. Dates

Born: Castelo Branco, Port, 1511

Died: Salonika, Greece,21 Jan. 1568

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 57

2. Father

Occupation: No Information

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: Portuguese

Career: Belgian, Italian, Turkish (Middle East)

Death: Turkish (Middle East)

4. Education

Schooling: Salamanca, M.D.

Sent to Salamanca in 1525 or 26. I assume B.A. Maybe that was in 1529 or 30. Stayed until 1532 studying medicine and surgery. Became a licentiate in medicine but not M.D. (but I list this as M.D.)

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic, Jew

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Medicine, Pharmacology, Botany

Subordinate: Anatomy, Surgery

He published extensively on plants, with special attention to their medicinal values. He also published seven volumes of case histories. He also participated in an important anatomical discovery and was an innovator in surgery.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Medical Practice

Secondary: Academic Position, Patronage

Lusitanus was from a Marrano family that fled from Spain in the late 15th century.

Because of the Inquisition (which was being instituted in Portugal), he did not remain there long after his university education. He migrated to Antwerp in 1533, where he had a successful practice that included prominent patients such as Luis Vives, the mayor of Antwerp, and the Portuguese Consul. In 1540 or 41 he was invited by the Duke of Ferrara to be the professor of anatomy at Univ. of Ferrara. He was the physician to Diana d'Este.

In 1547, he moved to Ancona, probably for reasons of religious persecution. He had an extensive practice with highly placed patients in major Italian cities, including Pope Julius III (and his nephew, the mayor of Ancona), Mendoza, the ambassador of Charles V, and Cosimo de' Medici. He dedicated books to a Portuguese aristocrat, to Cosimo, to Cardinal d'Este, and later to the Senate of the republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnic).

In 1555, because of religious persecution, he fled Italy. For perhaps three years in Ragusa. Finally to Salonika in 1559, where returned openly to Judaism, and where he died.

8. Patronage

Types: Court Official, Aristrocrat, City Magistrate, Eccesiastic Official

In addition to the items above, in Ancona he treated the sister of Julius III, and Julius himself called Lusitanus to Rome to treat him.

For a few months he was under the protection of Duke Guido Ubaldo in Pesaro.

9. Technological Involvement

Types: Medical Practice, Pharmacology

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

He had a controversy with Mattioli in which Mattioli accused him of plagiary.

Sources

1. J. Lopes-Dias, "Dr. Joao Rodrigues de Castelo Branco. Amato Lusitano," Congresso do mundo portugues. Publicacoes, 13 (1940), 91-175. This work contains a detailed discussion of the literature (mostly in Portuguese) about Lusitanus.
2. Jarru Friedenwald, "Amatus Lusitanus," in The Jews and Medicine, 2 vols. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1944), 1, 322-80.
3. Gaetano Luigi Marini, Degli archiatri pontifici, 2 vols. (Roma, 1784), 1, 414-17.

Not Available and Not Consulted

1. M. Salamon, "Amatus Lustinus in seine Zeit," Zeitschrift fur flinishce Medizin, 41-2 (1910).
2. M. de Lemos, Amato Lusitano, a sua vida e a sua obra, (Porto, 1907). Everyone seems to receive this as the authoritative work.
3. F. Segret, "Amatus Lusitanus, témoin de son temps." Sefarrad, 23 (1968), 285-309.
4. IV Centenario de Joao Rodrigues--Amato Lusitano (Estudios Castelo Branco, 1968).

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

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