Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 668

SIR JOHN FLOYER (1649-1734) A treatise of the asthma. Printed for R. Wilkin 1698 247 pp. 16.3 cm.

Floyer was one of the most eccentric physicians of his time, and his works show great independence of thought as well as a true spirit of research. He was perhaps the first to measure the pulse with the aid of a specially adapted watch and to attempt to establish relationships between the pulse rate and conditions of health and disease. Floyer suffered from asthma for many years and often made himself a subject for investigation during his research into asthma. In this work, he discusses the influence of heredity in asthma and includes an early description of emphysema.

Cited references: Cushing F213 (1717 ed.); Garrison-Morton 3166; Osler 2614; Wellcome III, p. 34