Charles Goodall, MD, was born in Suffolk. He was a doctor of medicine of Cambridge, of 26th November, 1670, probably ['probably' is struck out: See James Smith English-speaking students of medicine at the Univ. of Leyden (Edin, 1932), p.97] incorporated on a like degree from Leyden, conferred immediately before, for he is known to have been entered on the physic line there 21st June, 1670, being then twenty-eight years of age. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 26th June, 1676; and a Fellow 5th April, 1680. He was Gulstonian lecturer in 1685; Harveian orator, 1694 and 1709; Censor, 1697, 1703, 1705, 1706; Elect, 21st May, 1704, in place of Dr Alvey, deceased; Consiliarius, 1708; and was elected President 23rd December, 1708, when Dr Josiah Clarke desired to be removed from the duties of that office.
Dr Goodall continued to preside over the College till his death, an event which stands thus recorded in our Annals: "Dr Charles Goodall, President of the College, departed this life at Kensington the 23rd of August, 1712. He was an entire lover of the College, and indefatigable in studying its prosperity, as appears from his works." He was physician to the Charterhouse, to which office he was appointed 28th April, 1691.
He was buried in Kensington church; and on the floor of the south aisle was a slab thus inscribed: -
Hic situs est
Carolus Goodall, MD
Coll. Med. Præses nuperrimus,
Suttonensis hospitii Londinensis ipse Medicus.
Ob: Aug: vicesimo tertio. 1712.
Haller (1) attributes to Dr Goodall a publication, "de Cortice Peruviano et ejus usu," probably an inaugural dissertation at Leyden, but neither name of place nor date are given.
Dr. Goodall is the Stentor of Garth's Dispensary. He was one of the most ardent and untiring supporters of our College, and his whole life, so far as we are able now to judge, was devoted to its service. His work, The Royal College of Physicians of London, founded and established by Law, as appears by Letters Patent, Acts of Parliament, Adjudged Cases, &c.; and an Historical Account of the College's proceedings against Empiricks and unlicensed Practisers in every Prince's reign from the first incorporation to the Murther of the Royal Martyr King Charles the First, published in 4to. 1684, was, as we learn from the epistle dedicatory to the lord keeper Guildford [P.1677?], undertaken with the encouragement, if not at the actual request, of the College. For this he had already shown his qualifications, by the publication, in 1674, of a work written in defence of the College,(2) "against a bold and impudent Libell, published with design to expose that learned body to contempt."
We meet in the Annals with frequent mention of Dr Goodall's services to the College, and I transcribe them as an inducement to others to follow in his steps: -
"1684 Novembris die VII. Candidissimus vir Carolus Goodall, MD qui de Collegio suis improbis laboribus optimè promeritus est, Librum suum, cui titulus habetur; Collegium Regale, Medicorum Londinensium jure et legibus sancitum et stabilitum, una cum Juris Consultorum peritissimorum sententiis de negotiis ad Collegium spectantibus, eidem codici annexis, conventui obtulit. Insuper Annales Collegii binis voluminibus in folio inclusos, ab anno millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo quinto usque ad annum millesimum sexcentesimum quadragesimum septimum, propriis sumptibus, ritè et pulchrè ex archetypis exaratos, elenchis etiam utilibus haud omissis, eidem Concilio consecravit, denique hosce tres libros in Censorum et Delegatorum usus perpetuò cessuros expectat exoptatque.
"1685 Pridie Calendas Octobris. In Comitiis hisce magnas quidem agere gratias Dñus Præses, Doctori Goodall, viro præ aliis totius Collegii publici ingenii, qui, animi discruciatus ob nonnullorum nuperam administrationem malam, Collegii hujus rationes rectè colligendo, tam debitores quam creditores examinando, scriptiones etiam cogitatè perlegendo, multa sciscitando, plurima transcribendo, ferè omnia denique perlustrando, non priùs triennium jam vel privato suo sumptui non contemnendo, vel sibi suoque labori improbo pepercit, quam reculam hanc nostram publicam a nefandis authoribus mille quasi calamitatibus obrutam aliquo saltem modo emergentem viderit - quare non magis Præsidis exemplo quam ipsius justitiæ ergo, et gratitudinis debitæ similes itidem gratiæ illi, jam a singulis etiam Sociis præsentibus habebantur, et in perpetuam rei memoriam hisce Fastis inscribendæ agnoscebantur." (3)
Dr Goodall's portrait, presented by his widow in 1713, is at the College, and to Dr Goodall himself we are indebted for the portraits of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey now in the Censors' room; "July 12th, 1706. Dr Goodall having in his possession two ancient pictures of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey, the first founder of the College, and both benefactors, presented them this day to the College to be hung there, for which generous present the President and Censors gave him thanks."
William Munk
[(1) Biblioth. Botanica. Vol. I, p.581.
(2) The College of Physicians vindicated against a pamphlet entitled the Corner Stone, &c., and the true state of Physic in the Nation faithfully represented. 8vo. Lond.
(3) Of Dr Goodall's merits as a man and practical physician, we have the all-sufficient testimony of the great Sydenham, who, in his dedication of the Schedula Monitoria to Goodall, expresses himself thus: "Obsecro Te, Humanissime Vir, ut Tractatulum hunc æqui bonique consulas, quo testatum esse volui quanto Te honore prosequor; quod pariter faciunt etiam ii omnes quibus longè minus quam mihi perspecta est virtus Tua: neque jure merito existimare quis potest, me (qui Tui nullatenus indigeo,) Tibi assentari, cùm palam protitear, quod, sicuti in eâ quam exerces Arte nemini secundus sis, (ut modestè loquar) ita morum integritate honestateque unidique absolutissimâ, omnes fere quorum ego consuetudine unquam usus fuerim superes."]
[Dr Goodall was the intimate friend of Sydenham and that great man writes thus of him: "Dr Goodall was the friend who when many men ventured to assert that I had done but little in the investigation and ? of medicine, threw himself in the way of my malingers and defended me with the zeal and affection of a son towards a father. Greatly however as I was overpowered by the obligation I ? given him undeserved praise; since praise and blame unworthily given are equally violations of truth. No one then will blame me if I say that he is second to no one known to me ? much as for the many years I have known him he has injured no many by deed or even word. What he is in his profession, if God grant him life, the world will soon learn. ? an erudition founded on the study of all works ancient and modern, on medicine he adds an exquisite skill in discovering the most subtle ? practice without which no man can justly be called a physician. This ? to him all that the wishes of his patients could make him ? Drem Cole ? 55. This was in Jan ? 1681-2. In Sept 1686 Sydenham inscribed to Dr Goodall his Schedula Monitoria and in terms most complimentary.]
[Dr Aveling in a letter to me in Oct 1881 says "There is a curious note MS relating to Dr Goodall communicated to the writer J D 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane in my copy of Goodalls Coll of Physicians. ?"]
[P. Pottery from Dr Goodall's house at the Charterhouse, 1 May 1707]
[Letter from Dr Goodall to Sir Thomas Millington ? in Provincial medical and surgical journal, 1846, pp.43-4]