Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 468

RENé DESCARTES (1596-1650) De homine. Figuris et latinitate donatus a Florentio Schuyl. Ex officina Hackiana 1664 [36] 123 (misnumbered 121) [4] pp., illus., fold. plates. 20 cm.

For more information on this author or work, see number: 467

Descartes was prepared to publish this book in 1633 but decided to withhold it when he learned of Galileo's condemnation by the Church. As a result, the first edition was not published until 1662, twelve years after Descartes' death. The Latin translation preceded the French edition by two years, the present second Latin edition appearing the same year as the first French edition. It is sometimes called the first book on physiology, and that could be argued, but there is no doubt that the Cartesian philosophy exerted a tremendous effect on the evolution of medicine. This book could only have been written by a man who was basically a mathematician; it is step-by-step reasoning. Unfortunately, Descartes had little practical knowledge of the subject with which he was dealing and, when later investigation failed to confirm his theoretical structure, his work passed into oblivion. The many interesting illustrations have frequently been copied by other authors.

Cited references: Cushing D118; Garrison-Morton 574 (1st ed., 1662); Osler 931 (1st ed.); Waller 2376; Wellcome II, p. 453

Gift of John Martin, M.D.