John Hamilton (15111571)
Scottish archbishop
Because John Hamilton's asthma was primarily nocturnal, Girolamo Cardano, Europe's leading physician, suggested a change in bedding. Silk substituted for feather stuffing of pillow, mattress, and blanket resolved the problem. This episode presents one of the earliest examples of identification of an allergen.
Photographic reproduction of an illustration from Rev. J.F.S. Gordon, Ecclesiastical Chronicle for Scotland, Vol. 1, 1875