▁it ▁was ▁to ▁fetch ▁him ▁home ▁each ▁night ▁from ▁a ▁ta vern . ▁ ▁He ▁first ▁came ▁to ▁notice , ▁A ubre y ▁writes , ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 3 ▁when ▁he ▁rev ived ▁a ▁local ▁cl erg yman ▁from ▁an ▁op ium - indu ced ▁com a ▁by ▁the ▁un orth odox ▁method ▁of ▁sla ugh ter ing ▁a ▁cow ▁and ▁placing ▁the ▁sens eless ▁par son ▁inside ▁the ▁" cow es ▁war me ▁bel ly ". ▁Although ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁medical ▁degree , ▁Butler ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁court ▁phys ician ▁by ▁King ▁James ▁VI ▁and ▁I ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁King ’ s ▁el dest ▁son ▁Henry ▁Frederick , ▁Prince ▁of ▁Wales , ▁during ▁his ▁fatal ▁ill ness ▁of ▁November ▁ 1 6 1 2 . ▁Butler ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁neither ▁a ▁Gal en ist ▁nor ▁a ▁Par ac els ian , ▁but ▁rather ▁an ▁" emp ir ic " ▁phys ician , ▁who ▁based ▁his ▁treat ments ▁not ▁on ▁any ▁theory ▁but ▁purely ▁on ▁reasoning ▁and ▁experience . ▁He ▁opposed ▁the ▁common ▁practice ▁of ▁blood - lett ing ▁( ph le bot omy ▁or ▁ven ese ction ) ▁and ▁the ▁then ▁novel ▁use ▁of ▁dangerous ▁chemical ▁rem ed ies . ▁Some ▁of ▁Butler ’ s ▁papers ▁are ▁preserved ▁at ▁Cla re ▁College ▁and ▁show ▁that ▁he ▁sometimes ▁gave ▁medical ▁advice ▁by ▁letter . ▁One ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁King ▁Henry ▁VIII : ▁▁ ▁" M ost e ▁honest ▁and ▁r igh te ▁honor able ▁Thomas , ▁in