Who coined the term, "Desperate times call for desperate measures?"?

Question:

Who coined the term, "Desperate times call for desperate measures?"?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

This is a variant of the proverb "Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies." This goes back to the Latin 'extremis malis extrema remedia' extreme remedies for extreme ills.'

The earliest English version given by the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs is the following:

1539 R. Taverner tr. _Erasmus' Adages_ 4 A stronge disease requyreth a stronge medicine.