Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 988

LAZZARO SPALLANZANI (1729-1799) Dissertations relative to the natural history of animals and vegetables. Printed for J. Murray 1789 Vol. I: [6] ii, 391 [14] pp. 21.1 cm.

For more information on this author or work, see number: 983

Spallanzani's experiments on digestion were first published in 1780 in his native Italian and were translated into English for the first time in 1784. In this work he recorded the results of his experiments on the physiology of the digestive system. Spallanzani obtained specimens of gastric juice from many different animals and often experimented upon himself. He verified René Antoine Ferchauld de Reaumur's (1683-1757) conclusions concerning the digestive powers of gastric juice, proving in addition that it prevented putrefaction. Spallanzani observed that gastric digestion was neither putrefaction nor fermentation and erroneously concluded that it was not acid.

Cited references: Cushing S343 (1784 ed.)