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about 1590 and the latter about 1608。〃＇34＇ It was a fellow professor of the great genius Galileo who attempted to put into practice the experimental science of his friend。 With Sanctorius began the studies of temperature； respiration and the physics of the circulation。 The memory of this great investigator has not been helped by the English edition of his 〃De Statica Medicina；〃 not his best work； with a frontispiece showing the author in his dietetic balance。 Full justice has been done to him by Dr。 Weir Mitchell in an address as president of the Congress of Physicians and Surgeons； 1891。＇35＇ Sanctorius worked with a pulsilogue devised for him by Galileo； with which he made observations on the pulse。 He is said to have been the first to put in use the clinical thermometer。 His experiments on insensible perspiration mark him as one of the first modern physiologists。
＇34＇ Dannemann： Die Naturwissenschaften in ihrer Entwickelung。。。； Vol。 II； p。 7； Leipzig； 1911。
＇35＇ See Transactions Congress Physicians and Surgeons； 1891； New Haven； 1892； II； 159…181。
But neither Sanctorius nor Harvey had the immediate influence upon their contemporaries which the novel and stimulating character of their work justified。 Harvey's great contemporary； Bacon； although he lost his life in making a cold storage experiment； did not really appreciate the enormous importance of experimental science。 He looked very coldly upon Harvey's work。 It was a philosopher of another kidney； Rene Descartes； who did more than anyone else to help men to realize the value of the better way which Harvey had pointed out。 That the beginning of wisdom was in doubt； not in authority； was a novel doctrine in the world； but Descartes was no armchair philosopher； and his strong advocacy and practice of experimentation had a profound influence in directing men to 〃la nouvelle methode。〃 He brought the human body； the earthly machine； as he calls it； into the sphere of mechanics and physics； and he wrote the first text…book of physiology； 〃De l'Homme。〃 Locke； too； became the spokesman of the new questioning spirit； and before the close of the seventeenth century； experimental research became all the mode。 Richard Lower； Hooke and Hales were probably more influenced by Descartes than by Harvey； and they made notable contributions to experimental physiology in England。 Borelli； author of the famous work on 〃The Motion of Animals〃 （Rome； 1680…1681）； brought to the study of the action of muscles a profound knowledge of physics and mathematics and really founded the mechanical； or iatromechanical school。 The literature and the language of medicine became that of physics and mechanics： wheels and pulleys； wedges； levers； screws； cords； canals。 cisterns； sieves and strainers； with angles； cylinders； celerity； percussion and resistance； were among the words that now came into use in medical literature。 Withington quotes a good example in a description by Pitcairne； the Scot who was professor of medicine at Leyden at the end of the seventeenth century。 〃Life is the circulation of the blood。 Health is its free and painless circulation。 Disease is an abnormal motion of the blood； either general or local。 Like the English school generally； he is far more exclusively mechanical than are the Italians； and will hear nothing of ferments or acids； even in digestion。 This； he declares； is a purely mechanical process due to heat and pressure； the wonderful effects of which may be seen in Papin's recently invented 'digester。' That the stomach is fully able to comminute the food may be proved by the following calculation。 Borelli estimates the power of the flexors of the thumb at 3720 pounds； their average weight being 122 grains。 Now； the average weight of the stomach is eight ounces； therefore it can develop a force of 117；088 pounds； and this may be further assisted by the diaphragm and abdominal muscles the power of which； estimated in the same way； equals 461；219 pounds！ Well may Pitcairne add that this force is not inferior to that of any millstone。〃＇36＇ Paracelsus gave an extraordinary stimulus to the study of chemistry and more than anyone else he put the old alchemy on modern lines。 I have already quoted his sane remark that its chief service is in seeking remedies。 But there is another side to this question。 If； as seems fairly certain； the Basil Valentine whose writings were supposed to have inspired Paracelsus was a hoax and his works were made up in great part from the writings of Paracelsus； then to our medical Luther； and not to the mythical Benedictine monk； must be attributed a great revival in the search for the Philosopher's Stone； for the Elixir of Life； for a universal medicine； for the perpetuum mobile and for an aurum potabile。＇37＇ I reproduce； almost at random； a page from the fifth and last part of the last will and testament of Basil Valentine （London； 1657）； from which you may judge the chemical spirit of the time。
＇36＇ Withington： Medical History from the Earliest Times； London； 1891； Scientific Press； p。 317。
＇37＇ See Professor Stillman on the Basil Valentine hoax； Popular Science Monthly； New York； 1919； LXXXI； 591…600。
Out of the mystic doctrines of Paracelsus arose the famous 〃Brothers of the Rosy Cross。〃 〃The brotherhood was possessed of the deepest knowledge and science； the transmutation of metals； the perpetuum mobile and the universal medicine were among their secrets； they were free from sickness and suffering during their lifetime； though subject finally to death。〃＇38＇
＇38＇ Ferguson： Bibliotheca Chemica； Vol。 II； p。 290。 For an account of Fludd and the English Rosicrucians see Craven's Life of Fludd； Kirkwall； 1902。
A school of a more rational kind followed directly upon the work of Paracelsus； in which the first man of any importance was Van Helmont。 The Paracelsian Archeus was the presiding spirit in living creatures； and worked through special local ferments； by which the functions of the organs are controlled。 Disease of any part represents a strike on the part of the local Archeus； who refuses to work。 Though full of fanciful ideas； Van Helmont had the experimental spirit and was the first chemist to discover the diversity of gases。 Like his teacher； he was in revolt against the faculty； and he has bitter things to say of physicians。 He got into trouble with the Church about the magnetic cure of wounds； as no fewer than twenty…seven propositions incompatible with the Catholic faith were found in his pamphlet （Ferguson）。 The Philosophus per ignem； Toparcha in Merode； Royenborch； as he is styled in certain of his writings； is not an easy man to tackle。 I show the title…page of the 〃Ortus Medicinae；〃 the collection of his works by his son。 As with the pages of Paracelsus； there are many gems to be dug out。 The counterblast against bleeding was a useful protest； and to deny in toto its utility in fever required courage a quality never lacking in the Father of Modern Chemistry； as he has been called。
A man of a very different type； a learned academic； a professor of European renown； was Daniel Sennert of Wittenberg； the first to introduce the systematic teaching of chemistry into the curriculum； and who tried t