Theodericus Ulsenius

Theodoric Ulsenius, also known as Dietrich Ulsenius (* 1460 in Zwolle, † 1508 in 's- Hertogenbosch ), was a physician and poet, who worked in the late 15th and early 16th century.

Life

Ulsenius came from Friesland. He was Master of Arts and Doctor medicinae. Maybe he had acquired these degrees in Italy. End of the 15th century, he worked as city physician in Nuremberg. In 1496 he published with Hans Mair his poem about the " venereal disease " syphilis, which was probably illustrated by Albrecht Dürer. The work entitled Vaticinium in epidemicam scabiem, quae passim toto orbe grassatur is written in hexameters and comprises 100 verses. It describes a dream in which Apollon the author appears and talks to him. The reason for the epidemic an ominous conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn is specified.

The poem is despite the prodigies of faith, which expresses itself in these verses, one of the oldest descriptions of syphilis by a German doctor. In 1843, Professor CH Fox issued a collection of the oldest writers on the venereal disease in Germany, where he wanted to take the pamphlet, however, was that at that time to be lost. Only when he had opened up a copy of the Court and State Library in Munich, he could leave a relevant Supplement. In 1900, Johann Ueltzen published a reproduction of the Vaticinium.

In the same year as the Vaticinium came, also in Nuremberg, another poem of the doctor out: De ratione pharmacandi comprobata, medicinarum rectificatione symptomatumque purgationis hora supervenientium emendatione libri II This work was written in couplets convivales by Georg Pistorius in his editions of the sermons of 1559 and 1571 added. It may be identical with the clinico pharmacandi De modo libri duo, which were printed in 1496 in Nuremberg, according tanks also.

In Nuremberg Ulsenius concluded a friendship with Conrad Celtis. Later he became the personal physician of the Dukes of Mecklenburg. On February 7, 1507 he put into this property an oath that has been handed down. Later testimonies of his life are not known.