|
|
|
|
Franciscus Sylvius
|
| |
|
| |
Franciscus Sylvius (15 March 1614, Hanau-19 November 1672, Leiden), born Franz de le Boë, was a German-born Dutch physician and scientist (chemist, physiologist and anatomist) who was an early champion of Descartes', Van Helmont's and William Harvey's work and theories.
Sylvius, a Latinization of "de le Boë" translated as "of the woods", was born in Germany to an affluent family originally from Cambrai, but worked and died in Netherlands.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Franciscus Sylvius' Start a new discussion about 'Franciscus Sylvius' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
Franciscus Sylvius (15 March 1614, Hanau-19 November 1672, Leiden), born Franz de le Boë, was a German-born Dutch physician and scientist (chemist, physiologist and anatomist) who was an early champion of Descartes', Van Helmont's and William Harvey's work and theories.
Sylvius, a Latinization of "de le Boë" translated as "of the woods", was born in Germany to an affluent family originally from Cambrai, but worked and died in Netherlands. He studied in Leiden under Adolph Vorstius and Otto Heurnius and in Basel under Emmanuel Stupanus. In 1639 he returned to Leiden to lecture and from 1641 on he had a lucrative medical practice in Amsterdam. In 1658 he was appointed the professor of medicine at the University of Leiden and was paid 1800 guilders which was twice the usual salary. He was the University's Vice-Chancellor in 1669-70.
In 1669 Sylvius founded the first academic chemical laboratory. For this reason, the building in which much of the Leiden University chemistry and natural science faculties are housed has the name Sylvius Laboratory.
He founded the Iatrochemical School of Medicine, according to which all life and disease processes are based on chemical actions. That school of thought attempted to understand medicine in terms of universal rules of physics and chemistry. Sylvius also introduced the concept of chemical affinity as a way to understand the way the human body uses salts and contributed greatly to the understanding of digestion and of bodily fluids. The most important work he published was, "Praxeos medicae idea nova, 1671" (New idea in medical practice). His collected works were published in 1671. He was one of the earliest defenders of the circulation of the blood in Holland. He most famous students were Jan Swammerdam, Reinier de Graaf, Niels Stensen and Burchard de Volder.
He researched the structure of the brain and discovered the cleft in the brain now known as Sylvian fissure. Sylvius' angle is also named after him.
He is also credited with the invention of gin
External links
|
| |
|
|
