Edward Jorden

Edward Jorden (1569–1633) was an English physician and chemist.

Life

Jorden was born in High Halden, Kent. His university education in England is disputed. One account states that Jorden "was the younger son of a gentleman of good family. He studied at Oxford, probably at Hart Hall, travelled on the continent, meeting Andreas Libavius, and obtained an MD at Padua (c.1591), where he became familiar with the work of Fallopius and earlier contributors to the development of methods for the examination of mineral waters who were connected with that University." Another account has him educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he graduated BA 1583 and MA 1586.

Both accounts agree that he received his medical education in Italy, while travelling widely and attending classes at the universities of Padua, Bologna, Ferrara and Venice, and receiving his MD from Padua in 1591.

He became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in November 1595 and a Fellow in December 1597. He practised as a physician in Bishopsgate, London from 1596–1600. He practised medicine in Bath from 1600 where he died on 7 January 1633, being buried in the Abbey Church.

Censorial hearing

In 1595, Jorden was involved in a dispute with an apothecary about the treatment he had recommended to a patient. A censorial medical hearing on 4 July 1595, before a judge decided partly in Jorden's favour but he "was examined and was granted verbal authority to practise provided that he read Galen's "De Temperamentis," "De Elementis" (ex Hippocrates), "De (Naturalibus) Facultatibus," "De (Causis) Morborum," "De Symptomatum Causis," "De Symptomatum Differentiis," and the "De Locis Affectis," before Michaelmas. Upon his reappearance before the judge on 7 Nov 1595 he was examined on Galen, which he had been asked to read. His performance was exemplary. He was permitted to practice upon payment of 4 marks p.a."