PHYSICIAN PHYSICISTS by EDWARD PODOLSKY, M.D
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PHYSICIAN PHYSICISTS By EDWARD PODOLSKY, M.D. BROOKLYN, NEW YORK HYSICIANS, as a class, have his interest in mathematics and physi- perhaps been among the fore- cal phenomena soon proved over- most contributors to the prog- whelmingly greater. He gave up all ress of civilization in its vari- thoughts of medicine and went to ous phases. Almost as importantFlorence as to devote himself exclusively theirP purely medical work, their activ- to physics with such great success that ities in extra-medical spheres have in 1589 he received the appointment added more than a mite to the enjoy- for three years of the chair in mathe- ment of human life. In the field of matics in Pisa where he had begun his literature the names of Chekov, medical studies a few years previously. among the most significant of short- During his incumbency here he per- story writers, Rabelais, the immortal formed his memorable experiments author of “Pantagruel” and “Gar- on falling bodies, but his new views gantua,” Schiller, the great German met with so much opposition that he dramatist, Keats, among the sweetest was forced to resign in 1591. From poets of mankind, Oliver Wendell 1592 to 1610 he occupied the chair Holmes, the popular American poet, at the University of Padua. At Padua and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator he continued his contributions with of Sherlock Holmes, stand out with the perfection of the telescope, micro- especial brilliance. Among others, in scope and air thermometer. With his quite different situations, might be telescopes he made several impor- mentioned Richard Jordan Gatling, tant astronomical observations. Dis- inventor of the Gatling gun, David tinguished by the luster of these Livingstone, who penetrated the achievements, he departed from depths of the dark continent, Leander Padua and accepted the invitation Starr Jameson, of the famous or to Florence, as philosopher and mathe- infamous “Jameson Raid” into matician to the Grand Duke of Transvaal, Leonard Wood, soldier, Tuscany. and Governor General of the A few years later his conflict with Philippines. the Church began. He boldly preached In physics the contributions of the the doctrines of Copernicus, and in medical fraternity extend back many consequence was summoned before hundreds of years and are among the the Inquisition at Rome. The theory most brilliant and significant addi- of the earth’s motion was roundly tions to this important science. It is condemned by the gentlemen of the no exaggeration to say that the science Inquisition, and Galileo was enjoined of dynamics is due to Galileo Galilei to silence. He wisely heeded this (1564-1642), who was born in Pisa. injunction, but only for a few years. He evinced an interest in medicine In 1632 he published, contrary to the long before he distinguished himself edict of 1616, a new work, the “Dia- as a physicist. He entered the Univer- Iogo,” which was a brilliant success sity of Pisa as a medical student, but as an argument in favor of the Copernican theory. This, as was ex- published his great work “De Mag- pected, brought about a second trial. nete,” which was the first great work Galileo was subjected to indignity, on physical science produced in Eng- imprisonment and threats. On his land. Galileo pronounced it “great to knees he was forced publicly to “ab- a degree that is enviable,” but in jure, curse, and detest the error and England it was not appreciated so the heresy of the movement of the highly. In subsequent generations the earth.” For a while he was kept away book was quite forgotten. from his family and friends, but after The most important contribution of he had become blind and wasted with Gilbert is that the earth itself is a disease a little of his liberty was magnet. He pointed out that the restored to him. earth exerted a couple, not a force, The first years after 1632 were upon a compass needle. He also given to the study of dynamics. In introduced the field of force in a 1638, appeared, not in Italy, but in qualitative way, an orbis virtutis, Holland, his dialogues on motion, surrounding each magnet, an idea under the title: “Discourses on two that was much used by Faraday. The new sciences pertaining to mechanics demagnetization of iron by bringing and local motions.” These are now it to a red heat was clearly known to considered his greatest and most sub- Gilbert, and it is highly probable that stantial achievements. Galileo was the he inferred from this fact that mag- first to show that the path of a pro- netization is a molecular phenomenon. jectile is a parabola. Previously it was He said: believed by some that a cannon ball When a piece of iron has been touched moved forward at first in a straight by a lodestone, if it be placed in a hot line and then suddenly dropped verti- fire until it is perfectly red and remain cally to the ground. in the fire some considerable time, it Just as Galileo was the founder of will lose that magnetick strength it has the science of dynamics, William acquired. Even a lodestone itself through Gilbert was the father of magnetic a longish stay in the fire, loses the power philosophy. Dr. Gilbert (1540-1603) of attracting implanted and innate in was born at Colchester, county of it, any other magnetick powers. Essex, England, and studied medicine Some three hundred years before at St. John’s College, Cambridge. anything was known about the re- He travelled a great deal on the combination of ions into neutral mole- Continent where, as well as in Eng- cules Gilbert classified bodies into land he “practised as a physician “electrick” and “non-electrick” ac- with great success and applause.” cording to whether they had effect He was appointed by Queen Elizabeth upon his versorium (electroscope) or her physician-in-ordinary, and she not. settled upon him an annual pension Among the early great mathemat- for the purpose of aiding him in the ical physicists was Jerome Cardan prosecution of his philosophical stud- (1501-1576). His results were purely ies. His first investigations were in mathematical. In mechanics he an- chemistry; but later, for eighteen nounced a law of the inclined plane years and more, he experimented on as follows: The force required to hold electricity and magnetism. In 1600 he a body at rest on a frictionless plane is proportional to the angle which the great discovery of current elec- the plane makes with the horizontal. tricity or “galvanism.” The story This, however, was more theory than goes that his wife was in poor health truth. A simple experiment would and was ordered to eat frogs’ legs. have shown him that this was not so, Galvani prepared them himself. When but he evidently was more interested he had removed their skins, he laid in mathematical trickery than in them on a table near the conductor of experimental truth. His great work, a charged electric machine and left the “De subtilitate rerum,” (Leyden, room. His wife chanced to hold a scal- 1551) represents the best physical pel near the machine while at the learning of his time. In this treatise same time the scalpel’s point touched will be found, among other things, the exposed crural nerve of the frog’s his account of “Cardan’s suspension,” leg. A spark passed and the leg con- very widely used in connection with vulsed violently. She acquainted her the mariner’s compass. This device, husband with this occurrence and he however, Cardan did not claim as his repeated the experiment. This occurred own. He was a man of great learning, on November 6, 1780. Galvani set a graduate of Pavia and Padua, a about to discover the cause. He went successful physician, but unfortu- through quite an elaborate series of nately, a man of rather poor character. experiments and came to the con- All the early thermometers con- clusion that the source of electricity tained air, and the stem was arbitrar- was in the nerve. ily graduated. Being affected by To Thomas Young (1773-1829), a changes in atmospheric pressure, Gal- native of Milverton, Somersetshire, ileo’s air thermometer was very im- England, we are indebted for the re- perfect. The first improvement was vival of the undulatory theory of introduced by the French physician, light after a century of neglect. This Jean Rey, who simply inverted Gali- great scientist had an extraordinary leo’s instrument, filled the bulb with childhood. He could read with con- water and the stem with air. This siderable fluency at the age of two. later was made the thermometric sub- When four years old he had read the stance. On January 1, 1632, he com- Bible twice through; and when he was municated this method to the great six he could repeat the whole of Gold- intermediary among scientists, Pater smith’s “Deserted Village.” He de- Mersenne. But as Rey could not bring voured books, classical, literary and himself to close the upper end of the scientific, in rapid succession. He stem there was a constant danger of grew up fit physically as well as errors from evaporation of the water. mentally. At sixteen he abstained Thus, the thermometer which has from sugar on account of his opposi- played so important a role in clinical tion to the slave trade. At nineteen medicine was developed and improved he entered upon a medical education, by physicists with a medical training. which was pursued first in London, Among the first to interest himself then in Edinburgh, Gottingen, and and investigate in animal electricity finally at Cambridge.