James Keill
Encyclopedia
James Keill was a Scottish physician, philosopher, medical writer and translator. He was an early proponent of mathematical methods in physiology.
on 27 March 1673, he was the younger brother of John Keill
, and the nephew of William Cockburn. He was educated partly at home, studying under Andrew Massey and (probably) David Gregory at Edinburgh University, and partly on the continent, studying under Nicolas Lemery
and (probably) Jean Guichard Duverney in Paris, followed by a period at Leyden University.
He applied himself to anatomy
, and, moving to England, acquired a reputation by lecturing on anatomy at Oxford
and Cambridge
(which conferred on him the degree of M.D.) With the degree, but without belonging to the College of Physicians, he settled in 1703 as a physician at Northampton
, where he continued for the rest of his life. He died unmarried on 16 July 1719 of a cancer of the mouth, and was buried in St. Giles's Church, Northampton, where a monument, with a Latin inscription, was erected to his memory by his brother John.
, the amount of blood in the body, muscular motion, and the force of the heart. On the latter point he corrected an exaggerated estimate of Giovanni Alfonso Borelli
; but his own results were not satisfactory, and were criticised by James Jurin
in the Philosophical Transactions. Keill's essays were, however, esteemed. He also made a series of physiological observations on himself, after the manner of Santorio Sanctorius, published as ‘Medicina statica Britannica,’ in the third edition of his essays.
Keill's major work appeared first as ‘An Account of Animal Secretion, the Quantity of Blood in the Humane Body, and Muscular Motion,’ London, 1708; 2nd edit. enlarged under the new title of ‘Essays on several Parts of the Animal Œconomy,’ London, 1717; 3rd edit. (Latin), ‘Tentamina Medico-Physica, &c. Quibus accessit Medicina statica Britannica,’ London, 1718; 4th edit., containing in addition ‘A Dissertation concerning the Force of the Heart, by James Jurin, M.D., with Dr. Keill's Answer and Dr. Jurin's Reply; also Medicina statica Britannica, &c., explained and compared with the Aphorisms of Sanctorius, by John Quincy
, M.D.,’ London, 1738. He wrote also ‘The Anatomy of the Human Body, abridged,’ London, 1698, 15th edit. 1771; ‘An Account of the Death and Dissection of John Bayles of Northampton, reputed to have been 130 years old’ (Phil. Trans. 1706, xxv. 2247); and ‘De Viribus Cordis’ (ib. 1719, xxx. 995).
Life
Born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on 27 March 1673, he was the younger brother of John Keill
John Keill
John Keill was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was primarilya mathematician and important disciple of Isaac Newton. He studied at Edinburgh University, under David Gregory, and obtained his bachelors degree in 1692 with a distinction in physics and mathematics...
, and the nephew of William Cockburn. He was educated partly at home, studying under Andrew Massey and (probably) David Gregory at Edinburgh University, and partly on the continent, studying under Nicolas Lemery
Nicolas Lemery
Nicolas Lémery , French chemist, was born at Rouen. He was one of the first to develop theories on acid-base chemistry....
and (probably) Jean Guichard Duverney in Paris, followed by a period at Leyden University.
He applied himself to anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, and, moving to England, acquired a reputation by lecturing on anatomy at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
(which conferred on him the degree of M.D.) With the degree, but without belonging to the College of Physicians, he settled in 1703 as a physician at Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, where he continued for the rest of his life. He died unmarried on 16 July 1719 of a cancer of the mouth, and was buried in St. Giles's Church, Northampton, where a monument, with a Latin inscription, was erected to his memory by his brother John.
Works
He was an active supporter of the mechanical or ‘iatro-mathematical’ school of medicine; some of his ideas derived from his brother, a mathematician. He discussed by mathematical methods, combined with experiment, several physiological problems, such as secretionSecretion
Secretion is the process of elaborating, releasing, and oozing chemicals, or a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast to excretion, the substance may have a certain function, rather than being a waste product...
, the amount of blood in the body, muscular motion, and the force of the heart. On the latter point he corrected an exaggerated estimate of Giovanni Alfonso Borelli
Giovanni Alfonso Borelli
Giovanni Alfonso Borelli was a Renaissance Italian physiologist, physicist, and mathematician. He contributed to the modern principle of scientific investigation by continuing Galileo's custom of testing hypotheses against observation...
; but his own results were not satisfactory, and were criticised by James Jurin
James Jurin
James Jurin FRS MA FRCP MD was an English scientist and physician, particularly remembered for his early work in capillary action and in the epidemiology of smallpox vaccination...
in the Philosophical Transactions. Keill's essays were, however, esteemed. He also made a series of physiological observations on himself, after the manner of Santorio Sanctorius, published as ‘Medicina statica Britannica,’ in the third edition of his essays.
Keill's major work appeared first as ‘An Account of Animal Secretion, the Quantity of Blood in the Humane Body, and Muscular Motion,’ London, 1708; 2nd edit. enlarged under the new title of ‘Essays on several Parts of the Animal Œconomy,’ London, 1717; 3rd edit. (Latin), ‘Tentamina Medico-Physica, &c. Quibus accessit Medicina statica Britannica,’ London, 1718; 4th edit., containing in addition ‘A Dissertation concerning the Force of the Heart, by James Jurin, M.D., with Dr. Keill's Answer and Dr. Jurin's Reply; also Medicina statica Britannica, &c., explained and compared with the Aphorisms of Sanctorius, by John Quincy
John Quincy (medical writer)
-Life:He was apprenticed to an apothecary, and afterwards practised medicine as an apothecary in London. He was a Dissenter and a Whig, a friend of Dr. Richard Mead, and an enemy of Dr. John Woodward. He studied mathematics and the philosophy of Isaac Newton. He died in 1722.-Works:He knew little...
, M.D.,’ London, 1738. He wrote also ‘The Anatomy of the Human Body, abridged,’ London, 1698, 15th edit. 1771; ‘An Account of the Death and Dissection of John Bayles of Northampton, reputed to have been 130 years old’ (Phil. Trans. 1706, xxv. 2247); and ‘De Viribus Cordis’ (ib. 1719, xxx. 995).