Early Science and Medicine最新文献

Many (protestant) confessional philosophers claimed that physics should be exclusively based on the Bible, not on ancient pagan philosophy. At first sight, this program appears very similar to Mosaic philosophy. Still, there are important differences, as demonstrated by an analysis of three works by authors of different backgrounds, who all claimed the Bible was the sole authority on natural knowledge: Meteorologia by Johannes Garcaeus, Atlas by Gerhard Mercator, and Physica Christiana by Lambertus Danaeus. It is argued that the label ‘Mosaic’ should be reserved for philosophers who, like Mercator, opposed confessionalization rather than being part of it, and were genuinely interested in establishing new physical principles. Garcaeus and Danaeus used Biblical passages on nature merely to illustrate Church doctrine. Their philosophy therefore cannot be called ‘Mosaic.’

From Antiquity onwards, the need to keep mines dry has given rise to the development of water-raising machines. In early modern Europe a series of technological innovations, such as suction-lift pumps, were pioneered underground. Mines were an ideal site for hydraulic experimentation for four reasons: the incentive to dig deeper, the availability of capital, the presence of a skilled workforce, and the cost of labour. The new hydraulic technologies developed in mines were deployed in the water supply systems of many European cities, abbeys, and courts, as illustrated by the example of the Free Imperial City of Augsburg, the career of Pilgram Marpeck, and the Falkenstein mine. Given the significance of this technological transfer and the sheer mass of water raised out of pits, which far exceeded the mass of ore extracted, this article makes the case for the technological and environmental significance of the extraction of water from early modern mines.

The Jesuits’ commitment to paperwork and bureaucracy was a distinctive quality of the Society of Jesus since its foundation in 1540. By examining the catalogues produced in Portugal between 1555 and 1754, we argue that this evaluation of the bodily and spiritual qualities of individual Jesuits, especially of their temperament and ingenuity, left a profound mark in the Jesuits’ way of proceeding and that the compilation of these lists was a means to discern the skills most urgently needed for particular contexts and to make the best possible appointments across the globe. Finally, we show that Jesuit mathematicians in Lisbon taught their students how to calculate the natural complexion with astrological techniques.

The theological and eschatological dialogue De sera numinis vindicta (“On the Slowness of the Divinity to Punish”) by Plutarch of Chaeronea (first–second century CE) contains precise references to scientific and technical notions of his time, primarily within analogies and symbolic images. Assuming that understanding these symbolic elements requires an examination of the terminology and concepts that inspired them across scientific and broader cultural contexts, this article analyses one passage to gain insights into early imperial zoology, ink usage, colour classification, and metallurgical terminology. After introducing selected medical, zoological, and metallurgical references within the dialogue, the article focuses on a symbolic sentence describing “ill-will” and “envy” as a “rusty” (or “poisonous” or “violet-like,” ἰώδης) and “suppurated” (or “hidden” or “treacherous,” ὕπουλος) fluid emitted by envious souls, compared to the manner in which “cuttlefish” (σηπίαι) emit their ink. While clarifying the meaning and chromatic implications of this image, the article explores zoological knowledge of cuttlefish, ancient sources on cephalopod ink usage, and documented associations of these inks with the colours and corrosions of bronze and iron. Personal observations of the natural colours of three cephalopod inks are also presented alongside those of corroded copper and iron powders.