Het consult van Dr. Jozef Bueno aan het ziekbed van Prins Maurits van Oranje

SUMMARY

This short study deals with Jozef Bueno - father of the Dr. Ephraim Bueno whom Rembrandt immortalized in an etching and a painted portrait - the Portuguese-Jewish physician who, when attending the dying Prince Maurice of Orange in 1625, prescribed the spectacular Life Elixir of his age, the Aurum Potabik.

Prince Maurice’s incurable disease has never before been analyzed The diagnosis Seinbus Hepatis was confirmed by a post mortem examination, but no official report on the Prince’s sickbed survives. Another historia morhi may, however, be found in the letters sent by D’Espesses, the French Ambassador, to his King, Louis XIII. These have been included in this book, which, while discussing the various diagnoses applicablein this case, makes special mention of Lues Hepatis which Dr. Bueno may well have had in mind when prescribing his Aurum Potabik.

The historia morhi is here preceded by a detailed description of the lives and activities of the Prince of Orange’s three Physicians in Ordinary: Rumpfius, Hovius, and the elusive Dr. Valentinus. The historia not only treats the medical aspects of Prince Maurice’s illness, but also comments on his youth and relates the discussion to his way of life as an adult.

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