John Craig (physician)
Encyclopedia
John Craig M.D. was a Scottish physician, known also as an astronomer. He was physician to James VI of Scotland, and accompanied him to England. He also corresponded with Tycho Brahe
, and associated with John Napier
.
. The lawyer and poet Thomas Craig may have been his older brother. He graduated M.D. at Basle. Settled back in Scotland, after a decade and a half on the continent of Europe, he became first physician to James VI, whom he accompanied to this country on James's accession to the throne of England as James I. In 1604 he was admitted a member of the College of Physicians of London
. He was incorporated M.D. at Oxford 30 August 1605; was named an elect of the College of Physicians on 11 December the same year; was consiliarius in 1609 and 1617; and died before 10 April 1620, when Dr. John Argent was chosen an elect in his place.
. The contact with Brahe was set up by William Stewart of Houston
, who visited Denmark in 1589.
According to Richard A. Jarrell:
In fact Craig was an academic in Germany for an extended period. He was in Königsberg
in 1569, and in 1570 as a medical student under Caspar Peucer
. He was in Frankfurt-on-Oder in 1573, teaching mathematics and logic. He returned to Scotland in 1584.
Craig may have been the person who gave John Napier of Merchiston the hint which led to his discovery of logarithm
s. Anthony à Wood states that "one Dr. Craig ... coming out of Denmark into his own country called upon John Neper, baron of Murcheston, near Edinburgh, and told him, among other discourses, of a new invention in Denmark (by Logomontanus, as 'tis said) to save the tedious multiplication and division in astronomical calculations. Neper being solicitous to know farther of him concerning this matter, he could give no other account of it than that it was by proportionable numbers." This story may not be independently verifiable. Napier himself informed Tycho Brahe, via Craig, of his discovery, some twenty years before it was made public.
Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe , born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, was a Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations...
, and associated with John Napier
John Napier
John Napier of Merchiston – also signed as Neper, Nepair – named Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish mathematician, physicist, astronomer & astrologer, and also the 8th Laird of Merchistoun. He was the son of Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston. John Napier is most renowned as the discoverer...
.
Physician
He was born in Scotland, the son of an Edinburgh tailor and merchant Robert Craig and Katherine BellendenKatherine Bellenden
Katherine Bellenden was a courtier working in the wardrobe of James V of Scotland. Her niece of the same name was similarly employed....
. The lawyer and poet Thomas Craig may have been his older brother. He graduated M.D. at Basle. Settled back in Scotland, after a decade and a half on the continent of Europe, he became first physician to James VI, whom he accompanied to this country on James's accession to the throne of England as James I. In 1604 he was admitted a member of the College of Physicians of London
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
. He was incorporated M.D. at Oxford 30 August 1605; was named an elect of the College of Physicians on 11 December the same year; was consiliarius in 1609 and 1617; and died before 10 April 1620, when Dr. John Argent was chosen an elect in his place.
Astronomy and mathematics
He was the author of Capnuraniae seu Comet, in Aethera Sublimatio, a manuscript addressed to his friend Tycho Brahe. Some of their correspondence was printed by Rudolf August Nolten. Craig's work was prompted by the Great Comet of 1577Great Comet of 1577
The Great Comet of 1577 was a comet that passed close to Earth during the year 1577 AD. It was viewed by people all over Europe, including famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. From his observations of the comet, Brahe was able to discover that comets and similar objects travel above the Earth's...
. The contact with Brahe was set up by William Stewart of Houston
William Stewart of Houston
Sir William Stewart of Houston was a Scottish soldier, politician and diplomat.-Life:He began his career as a soldier in the Netherlands, where he became a colonel and entered into communications with Lord Burghley on the progress of affairs. In the year 1582 he was in Scotland, where James VI...
, who visited Denmark in 1589.
According to Richard A. Jarrell:
In fact Craig was an academic in Germany for an extended period. He was in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
in 1569, and in 1570 as a medical student under Caspar Peucer
Caspar Peucer
Caspar Peucer was a German reformer, physician, and scholar.-Biography:Born in Bautzen, Peucer studied mathematics, astronomy, and medicine at the University of Wittenberg from 1540...
. He was in Frankfurt-on-Oder in 1573, teaching mathematics and logic. He returned to Scotland in 1584.
Craig may have been the person who gave John Napier of Merchiston the hint which led to his discovery of logarithm
Logarithm
The logarithm of a number is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base, has to be raised to produce that number. For example, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3, because 1000 is 10 to the power 3: More generally, if x = by, then y is the logarithm of x to base b, and is written...
s. Anthony à Wood states that "one Dr. Craig ... coming out of Denmark into his own country called upon John Neper, baron of Murcheston, near Edinburgh, and told him, among other discourses, of a new invention in Denmark (by Logomontanus, as 'tis said) to save the tedious multiplication and division in astronomical calculations. Neper being solicitous to know farther of him concerning this matter, he could give no other account of it than that it was by proportionable numbers." This story may not be independently verifiable. Napier himself informed Tycho Brahe, via Craig, of his discovery, some twenty years before it was made public.