The Scientific Life of Thomas Bartholin1

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The Scientific Life of Thomas Bartholin1 THE SCIENTIFIC LIFE OF THOMAS BARTHOLIN1 By JOHN H. SKAVLEM, M.D., CINCINNATI, OHIO HE name Bartholin was for a long life he was destined to lead. With the inten­ period of time so intimately asso­ tion of entering the ministry he first de­ ciated with the early development voted himself to the study of theology, but of scientific life in the University soon forsook this following and turned to of Copenhagen as to amply justify referencemedicine in which field the predestined Tto the institution of that period as the calling of anatomy soon prevailed upon school of the Bartholins. After the foster­ him. In 1636 he served as secretary to the ing of this scientific interest by Caspar first division of Worm’s medical institu­ Bartholin the culmination of this develop­ tion and shortly afterward went abroad, ment may be said to have been presented where his father’s reputation and Worm’s during the time when Thomas Bartholin, as recommendations gained for him warm anatomical professor, was the guiding power. receptions and advantageous distinction. Here he gathered about him a learned as­ He first went to Holland, which was at semblage of disciples both Danish and that time one of the scientific literary foreign. Because of the general use of Latin centers of the world, and studied at Leyden. in his scientific teachings he was able to deal While there he was urged by several book with students of all tongues and the result dealers to prepare a new illustrated edition was the establishment of a school of men of his father’s anatomy. But the text of such from all parts of the world. He utilized the an edition would necessarily have had to be highest moral and intellectual faculties which augmented by the recent works, such as the he possessed to instil into his followers the investigations of Harvey, AscIIi and others, love of scientific truths and endeavoured to and thus it presented a task too great to have his school stand for the highest grade be creditably handled by young Bartholin, of investigations. By these endeavours he who was then only twenty-five years old. brought the school up to such a standard The work was made possible, however, by that its anatomical teachings, later pro­ the offer of assistance from elder friends. mulgated and further developed by such Sylvius, professor in Utrecht, communicated followers as Michael Lyser, George Seger, to him some original remarks on the struc­ Martin Bogdan, H. DcMoinichin, Ole Borch, ture of the heart, and Waleus, with whom he Nels Stensen and others, will have everlast­ stayed in Leyden, imparted additions on ing effects on medical science. Moreover, it the circulation of the blood and descriptions assumed a prominent position in the pro­ of the milk vessels, besides serving as critic. gressive development of Denmark. Thus was made possible the edition of the Thomas, born in 1616, was but thirteen first revised anatomy in 1641. years old when his father Caspar Bartholin Bartholin, because of his poor health and died, but his uncle and guardian, Ole Worm, fear of consumption, left Holland in 1640 so aptly assumed the parental position that and went to Paris. Here he prepared a new the youth could not have found himself edition of his father’s work “De Pygmaeis,” under more favorable circumstances for en­ which, however, was never published. From couragement and guidance in the scientific Paris he went to Montpellier, where he 1Read before the Wisconsin Medical Historical Seminar. gained recognition by openly opposing a various inert objects and the existence of paper on the Iacteals, the author of which terrible monsters, described but never seen, was unknown. In the spring of 1642 he went and collected curiosities of all kinds for to Padua’s famous university where at Worm’s museum. that time many Danish students continued Setting out for home he stopped their work. Here he was received into the at Basel, where he, just as his father and hospitality of Johannes Rhode, who was Worm had done, received his doctor’s born in Copenhagen in 1581, but who since degree from Bauhin in 1645. From here he 1614 had resided in Padua as a successful went to Frankrig and Holland where he physician and teacher. Through him Bar­ stayed for some time and would have tholin became acquainted with John Ves- remained longer if Worm had not repeatedly Iing, a German anatomist, who promised urged him to return home. While Bartholin Bartholin his assistance in preparing a was still in Padua, Worm had planned that second new edition of the “Anatomy,” he should come home and replace his grand­ which a Venetian book dealer desired to father, Thomas Finck, on the Copenhagen publish. This book, however, came out in faculty, as the latter was becoming too old Leyden in 1643. to retain his position. Bartholin answered After a couple of years sojourn in upper that he was too young and said he wanted to Italy he went by way of Rome to Naples, attain greater learning and experience before where he met the famous zoologist, Marcus he settled down to a quiet steady vocation. Aurelius Severinus. While here he was Worm persisted in urging him to return offered a professorship of philosophy in home but Bartholin remained firm. In Messina, which he declined. He then went to 1645 Worm wrote that there were two Sicily from whence he intended to push on to professorships vacant, one Professor Oratoria Egypt but unfavorable circumstances pre­ and the other Professor Elegnatiorium. To vented him so he went to Malta. While the former ^Bartholin’s brother was chosen here he prepared a dissertation “De GIoss- and Worm wanted Thomas to accept the pctris” which concerned an old legend. other. Although Bartholin then left Basel he According to this fable the tongue of a snake went to Holland, where the second edition which had been killed while crawling upon of his anatomy was published (1645). In the the arm of the Apostle Paul, had become interim the position was filled. Later in the petrified and possessed marvelous medicative year the professorship of theology was made properties. This dissertation is spoken of vacant and Worm again urged Bartholin to among his works of 1644 but was never hurry home and seek the chair which was published. then to be called Professor Ethicae. But In 1644 he again returned to Padua, Bartholin failed to hurry and when he finally where he produced his work “De Unicornu,” did return home during the course of the which came out in 1645, dedicated to his summer the chair had been filled. But grandfather, Thomas Finck. In this writing Worm soon had new plans for him. Prince he discussed the old tradition regarding the Christian during the winter of 1646-47 was curative properties of the tooth of the taken sick and planned a journey for his unicorn, and furthermore spoke of the health. Worm immediately set to work to healing powers of all kinds of teeth. Thus have Bartholin attend him but nothing came he recommends pulverized rhinoceros tooth of this. In 1647 Bartholin succeeded Longo- for headache. During all his journeys he montanus as professor of mathematics in the deeply concerned himself investigating old University of Copenhagen and in 1648 traditions of the curative properties of ascended to the chair of anatomy as successor to Simon PauIIi. Finally he had entered the continued for a time after the body’s province to which his nature and inheritance death. But Bartholin remained uncon­ called him. vinced and the absurd citation from Pare The same year, 1645, that Bartholin still remained in the last, edition of his issued his second edition of the “Anatomy,” “Anatomy” (1673). there appeared a sharp criticism against About this time Bartholin was made the his anatomical views written by Caspar victim of a long continued and bitter Hofman, first professor at the medical criticism from the pen of Riolan. He speaks college in Altorf. Among other things for which Hofman criticized him was his opinion regarding the mechanism of respiration. In reply to this Bartholin also came into opposition with Cartesius’s theory regarding this. Cartcsius maintained that the air rushed into the lung and dilated it, because that part of the surrounding air which was displaced by the expansion of the chest could find no other place to go. Against this Bartholin argued that the expansion of the chest did not necessarily cause a move­ ment of the surrounding air, but that there might be a compression of the air, and cited, for example, that the finest feather placed in close proximity to the chest was not disturbed by the chest expansion. In another place Bartholin, who with many of the elder anatomists regarded the hair as some sort of an excrement or a re­ sult of the earth’s dampness and not a true part of the body, stated that the hair was not nourished by the blood. He confirms his beliefs by relating stories of how hair of Bartholin as having in several places grew on hides and other dead organic inserted the investigations of others without material, and also cites Pare who speaks naming his source, criticizes him for not of having an embalmed body in his house carrying on more independent and original for twenty-five years, on which the hair and investigations and points with ridicule to a nails grew out as often as he clipped them. discussion found in Bartholin’s “Anatomy,” Hofman taught that the hair was nour­ where he describes the development of a ished by the blood.
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