Biology and Its Makers: With Portraits and Other IllustrationsLocy, William A. (William Albert)
History
Biology and Its Makers: With Portraits and Other Illustrations
Locy, William A. (William Albert)
Biology -- History
It is not necessary to dwell long upon the work of either Hooke or
Grew, since that of Malpighi, Swammerdam, and Leeuwenhoek was more
far-reaching in its influence. The publications of these three men
were so important, both in reference to microscopic study and to the
progress of independent investigation, that it will be necessary
to deal with them in more detail. In the work of these men we come
upon the first fruits of the application of the methods introduced
by Vesalius and Harvey. Of this triumvirate, one--Malpighi--was an
Italian, and the other two were Hollanders. Their great service to
intellectual progress consisted chiefly in this--that, following upon
the foundations of Vesalius and Harvey, "they broke away from the
thraldom of mere book-learning, and relying alone upon their own eyes
and their own judgment, won for man that which had been quite lost--the
blessings of independent and unbiased observation."
It is natural that, working when they did, and independently as they
did, their work overlapped in many ways. Malpighi is noteworthy for
many discoveries in anatomical science, for his monograph on the
anatomy of the silkworm, for observations of the minute structure
of plants, and of the development of the chick in the hen's egg.
Swammerdam did excellent and accurate work upon the anatomy and
metamorphosis of insects, and the internal structure of mollusks,
frogs, and other animals. Leeuwenhoek is distinguished for much general
microscopic work; he discovered various microscopic animalcula; he
established, by direct observation, the fact of a connection between
arteries and veins, and examined microscopically minerals, plants,
and animals. To him, more than to the others, the general title of
"microscopist" might be applied.
Since these men are so important in the growth of biology, let us, by
taking them individually, look a little more closely into their lives
and labors.
Marcello Malpighi, 1628-1694
Personal Qualities.--There are several portraits of Malpighi extant.
These, together with the account of his personal appearance given by
Atti, one of his biographers, enable us to tell what manner of man
he was. The portrait shown in Fig. 13 is a copy of the one painted
by Tabor and presented by Malpighi to the Royal Society of London,
in whose rooms it may still be seen. This shows him in the full
attractiveness of his early manhood, with the earnest, intellectual
look of a man of high ideals and scholarly tastes, sweet-tempered,
and endowed with the insight that belongs to a sympathetic nature.
Some of his portraits taken later are less attractive, and the lines
and wrinkles that show in his face give evidence of imperfect health.
According to Atti, he was of medium stature, with a brown skin, a
delicate complexion, a serious countenance, and a melancholy look.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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