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Notebooks of John Ward [manuscript], ca. 1647-ca. 1680.

16 v. ; 147 x 90 mm

Notebooks touch on many things -- medicine, surgery, chemistry, pharmacy, herbs, botany, materia medica, even astrology, as well as theology, history, ancient and modern, politics, literature and travel. Ward was curious about most things, tried to keep abreast of recent publications, and made extensive notes of what he read. He met and was aware of many of the leading men of science in his day, saw their laboratories and physic gardens, attended lectures, witnessed operations, etc., so as to be able to improve his own store of knowledge. There are also a few incidental references to Shakespeare (V.a.292, leaves 138v, 140, and 150; V.a.294, leaf 20; V.a.295, leaf 120; see "The pen's excellencie" for specific references).

Each volume also cataloged separately.
A typed summary of the contents of each volume with a list of some of the people mentioned appears in most volumes.
Poems listed in Folger index of first lines.
These volumes, originally 17 in number, have been known as "Ward's Diary."
Initials "I. W." stamped in gold on sides of some volumes.
Extracts published by Charles Severn as Diary of the Rev. John Ward (London, 1839).

John Ward proceeded M.A., Oxon., 1652. From 1662 until his death, Ward was vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon and around 1668 he was appointed rector of Dorsington, Gloucestershire. In 1666 he was licensed to practice medicine by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As an avid student, Ward's great interest was medicine, and once he was licensed he spent much time in London during the Commonwealth studying the natural sciences.

Frank, R.G. Journal of the History of Medicine, 29 (1974).
Power, D'Arcy Selected writings ... 1931, refers to his transcript of volumes 1-6 at Medical Society, London.
Laetitia Yeandle contributed a number of Notes to Shakespeare Quarterly concerning the Ward Diaries including SQ, 8 (1957): 460, 520, 526; SQ, 11 (1960): 493-494;SQ, 12 (1961): 353; SQ, 20 (1969): 87-88.
"The pen's excellencie" : treasures from the manuscript collection of the Folger Shakespeare Library / compiled and edited by Heather Wolfe. Seattle : Distributed by University of Washington Press, 2002, p. 77.

Medical Society of London MS -- Dr. J.A.S.N. Rosenbach, of New York (Sotheby's, London, April 4, 1928, lot 631).
Formerly Folger MS 2073.5.

V.a.284-299

cs2073