The Popes and Science: The History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own TimeWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Religion
The Popes and Science: The History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own Time
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Popes; Religion and science -- History; Science -- History
Malpighi was succeeded as Papal Physician and Professor in Rome by
Tozzi, who is distinguished in the history of medicine for his
commentaries on the ancients rather than for original observation, but
who was looked upon in his time as one of the most prominent
physicians in Italy. Tozzi had been the Professor of Medicine and
Mathematics at the University of Naples, where he became famous. From
here he received a flattering invitation to the chair of physic at
Padua. In order that he might not desert Naples, his salary was raised
and he was given the post of Protomedicus or Chief Physician to the
Court. It was after this that the death of Malpighi left an important
chair vacant in Rome, and there being no one apparently more worthy
than this man for whom other important universities were contending,
he {241} was offered the chair on such excellent conditions that he
accepted it. It is another case of the Popes being not only willing
and even anxious, but also able because of their position, to secure
the best talent available for their medical school at the Roman
University.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest members of the faculty that the Papal
Medical School ever had is Lancisi, one of the supreme medical
teachers of history, who is usually considered one of the founders of
modern clinical medicine. When at the beginning of the eighteenth
century Boerhaave attracted the attention of the world by his bedside
teaching of medicine at Leyden, there were two occupants of thrones in
Europe who proved to have particular interest in this new departure.
They were perhaps the last two who might ordinarily be expected to
have much use for such improvements in medical education. One of them
was the Empress Maria Theresa, of Austria, whose patronage of
Boerhaave 's pupil, Van Swieten, secured the establishment of that
system of clinical teaching which has since made the Vienna Medical
School famous. The other was the Pope. With his approbation Lancisi
established clinical teaching at Rome, and thus did much to maintain
at Rome a great center of medical progress during the eighteenth
century.
Lancisi was graduated at the Sapienza, the Roman University, at the
early age of eighteen. When only twenty-two he became assistant
physician at the Santo Spirito Hospital and began to show the first
hint of the brilliant genius he was to display later in life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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