Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 886

ALBRECHT VON HALLER (1708-1777) Elementa physiologiae corporis humani. Sumptibus Societatis Typographicae 1757-1766 Front., 6 plates (part fold.). 24.3 cm.

For more information on this author or work, see number: 880

Historians agree that, of the vast amount of scientific literature produced by this gifted genius, this eight-volume work is his greatest and most important contribution. The work has had a lasting influence on the development of anatomy and physiology. In it Haller examined the entire body and in each section provided anatomical description along with data on the structure, physical properties, and chemical composition of the part under consideration. There are many physiological discoveries in this book that were forgotten, only to be rediscovered again years later. Two notable examples are the myogenic theory of the heart beat and the role of bile in the digestion of fat.

Cited references: Garrison-Morton 588; Osler 1148; Waller 4007; Wellcome III, p. 199

Gift of John Martin, M.D.