Court Times with the Royals

These past years I had been working in a new occupation as the imperial psychiatric court physician of Emperor Charles V, and later of his son, Phillip II. Yeah. That's a long title. To take this job I had rejected an offer from Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, another position with a title worth having, but I decided to turn it down. The office offered by the emperor was just that much more appealing. Weeks into the job I found myself being ridiculed by the other physicians. They thought of me as an inferior barber-surgeon, one who cuts hair and, for part time, performs surgery as well. Each had put themselves above me with their statuses as physicians. How could they continue though? After all, my researches were more radical and effective than that of theirs. In the time as physician for the emperor I successfully established a position where at the top of the most wanted physicians. I was also able to write several letters which, with the help of my brother Franciscus, was published as the Letters on the China Root with evidence of its efficiency by 1546. (P.S. A year before the publication I had gotten married to Anne Van Hamme! Nearing the time of the publication was the birth of our new baby daughter whom we also named Anne. Yes. Feel the creativity.)

Smilax Chinae

During the time studying the China root, I found its properties extraordinary. Which other plant could suck syphilis right out of your system? Its original name was the Smilax Chinae, an oriental root. Unfortunately the recent distributions of this superior drug have brought it to become a commonly misused drug among the young. My further studies had allowed me to find the exact perpetrators of this drug in as much as a glimpse. Ahh… The unfortunate misuse... Perhaps these unfortunates have fallen into the wrong circles in life… Might I remind a few of the young’uns reading this to live life effectively, les’t you wish to find yourself on my dissection table :].

Continuing from this, I had served time already as a surgeon and physician in the mending of wounds during the travels of the courts with Charles V. Injuries from tournaments and other events were brought to my attention and I had several chances to perform postmortems. Now I serve under his son, Philip II, who has generously given me annuity for life. Who knows what shall go on next? Phillip seems to advocate Catholicism to the largest reaches…