CARDAN (Hrznorrintns,) in biogra phy, was born at Pavia, Sept. 24, 1501. At four years old he was carried to Milan, his father being an advocate and physi cian in that city : at the age of twenty he went to study in the university of the same city, and two years afterward he gave lectures on Euclid. In 1524 he went to Padua ; the same year he was ad mitted to the degree of Master of Arts, and the year following to that of Doctor of Physic. In 1539 he was admitted a member of the College of Physicians at Milan : in 1543 he read public lectures on medicine there, and the same at Pavia the year following ; but he discontinued them, because he could not get payment of his salary, and returned to Milan. • hi 1552, be went into-Scoiland, having been sent for by the Archbishop of St. Andrews, to cure him of a grievous dis order, after trying tue physicians of the King of France and of the Emperor of Germany without benefit. He began to re cover from the day that Cardan prescrib ed tor him. Our author took his leave of him at the end of about six weeks, leav ing him prescriptions, which in to o years wrought a complete cure. Upon thtvi sit Cardan passed through London, and calculated King Edward's nativity, being famous for his knowledge in astrology.
Returning to Milan after four months ab sence, he remained there till the begin ning of October, 1552, and then went to Pavia, from whence he was invited to Bo logna in 1562. He taught in this last city till the year 1570, at which time he was thrown into prison , but some months af ter he was sent home to his own house. He quitted Bologna in 1571, and went to Rome, where he lived for sonic time with out any public employment. He itas however admitted a member of the Col lege of Physicians, and received a pen sion from the Pope, till the time of his death, which happened at Rome on the 21st of September, 1575.
No man of his time seems to have made greater progress in philosophy, medicine, and other branches of natural science, than Cardan : in algebra he was a great adept, and made many improvements in the analytic art. His dexterity in solving cubic questions has given him a lasting name. It is affirmed by Scaliger, that Cardan having, by his pretended skill in astrology, predicted the time of his death, abstained from all food, in order that he might verify the truth of his prophecy.