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M. Aleman and J. Locke, two frustrated physicians, Vesalius, VI, 2, 83-89, 2000Portrait of John LockeThe illness occurred too long after to beattributed to the carriage accident and althoughit could conceivably have been caused by tuberculosisor some other purulent infection, theoverall clinical and pathological picture is mostconsistent with cystic hydatid disease causedby ingestion of Echinococcus eggs of the dogtapeworm, often acquired in childhood and laterfrom playing with sheepdogs.Mateo Aleman concludes his book with thefuneral oration which he delivered, a conventionalliterary-theological exercise, in the style of theday. We know of no later writing by him and knownothing else of his last years and death. There iscasual mention of his residence in the village ofChalcos, near Mexico City, in 1615, and the timeand place of his death remain obscure.Across the ocean in a Somerset village nearBristol, John Locke (1632-1704) was born, onemonth before Spinoza and six years after Bacon'sdeath. His parents came from Puritan families,clothiers and tanners. The father earned amodest living as an attorney and clerk and hadsome minor landholdings that allowed the son totitlehimself «gentleman» in the front of one of hisbooks (ref. 6).In contrast to the erratic Mateo Aleman, JohnLocke kept meticulous records and details of hisobservations and different versions of his workshave been largely preserved, either in printedform or in manuscript.Locke's father, through the influence of afellow officer during the Civil War, was able toget his son accepted at the prestigious WestminsterSchool and later at Christ Church, Oxford,in 1652. He retained a connection withChrist Church until 1684 when he was expelledby royal command. He was almost continuouslyin college only from 1652 to 1667. He wasallowed to continue his fellowship in spite of nothaving taken orders, all by special royaldispensation. Between 1661 and 1664 he taughtGreek, rhetoric, and moral philosophy. Amongstother works he produced Respirationis Usus sofar inadequately transcribed.During his early years at Oxford, Lockecontinued a major interest in medicine. «All thatwas expected... for a bachelorship in physicwas... three years' attendance at the lectures ofthe Arabic professor (8) and the professors ofanatomy and medicine, together with certaindisputations in the medical school... and fouryears' delay necessary to qualify for thedoctorship». Locke obtained his MB in 1664 butnever his MD.We have records of books read by Lockebetween 1658 and 1667. One hundred fifty-sevenof these were medical, 59 of natural science, and55 on theology and religion. His final library asreported by Harrison and Laslett leaned moreheavily on theology; but after religion, medicinewas next. This (ref 8) documents his lifelonginterest in spite of his many other preoccupations.His approach, like that of Sydenham and the othermembers of the Royal Society, was strictly empiricaland much influenced by Rene Descartes.86