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A Subtle and Mysterious MachineEnquiries Into Human Nature (1680): Charleton’s Anatomy and Physiology After the Royal Society

A Subtle and Mysterious Machine: Enquiries Into Human Nature (1680): Charleton’s Anatomy and... CHAPTER VI ENQUIRIES INTO HUMAN NATURE (1680): CHARLETON’S ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY AFTER THE ROYAL SOCIETY The lectures which constituted the basis of Enquiries into Human Nature (here- after Enquiries) were delivered in March 1679. They examined the traditional vital functions in anatomical terms (nutrition, life and voluntary motion), with additional lectures on fevers and anatomy of the stomach. Though the material overlapped with the 1659 Natural History, these 1680 lectures were distin- guished by their examination of anatomical knowledge of each subject, and their structural, rather than physiological, emphasis. Like many anatomical texts of its period, Enquiries was structured around six sections (the prælec- tions). The first three focused on nutrition: ‘On nutrition’, ‘Historia ventriculi’ and ‘The actions and uses of the ventricle’. The fourth lecture was unusual in its subject matter—‘Of life’ engaged (inevitably) with theological questions, and also incorporated circulation theory into a corpuscular theory about the nature of life. The fifth lecture, ‘Of fevers’, was the only one to cover an explicitly clin- ical and therapeutic question. The final lecture was ‘Of motion voluntary’, a dis- cussion which echoed Natural History’s concluding chapter. Historians’ interpretations of Enquiries have been scarce, but with few excep- tions they http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A Subtle and Mysterious MachineEnquiries Into Human Nature (1680): Charleton’s Anatomy and Physiology After the Royal Society

Part of the Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Book Series (volume 18)
Editors: Booth, Emily
Springer Journals — Jan 1, 2005
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Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Copyright
© Springer 2005
ISBN
978-1-4020-3377-3
Pages
137 –177
DOI
10.1007/1-4020-3378-8_6
Publisher site
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Abstract

CHAPTER VI ENQUIRIES INTO HUMAN NATURE (1680): CHARLETON’S ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY AFTER THE ROYAL SOCIETY The lectures which constituted the basis of Enquiries into Human Nature (here- after Enquiries) were delivered in March 1679. They examined the traditional vital functions in anatomical terms (nutrition, life and voluntary motion), with additional lectures on fevers and anatomy of the stomach. Though the material overlapped with the 1659 Natural History, these 1680 lectures were distin- guished by their examination of anatomical knowledge of each subject, and their structural, rather than physiological, emphasis. Like many anatomical texts of its period, Enquiries was structured around six sections (the prælec- tions). The first three focused on nutrition: ‘On nutrition’, ‘Historia ventriculi’ and ‘The actions and uses of the ventricle’. The fourth lecture was unusual in its subject matter—‘Of life’ engaged (inevitably) with theological questions, and also incorporated circulation theory into a corpuscular theory about the nature of life. The fifth lecture, ‘Of fevers’, was the only one to cover an explicitly clin- ical and therapeutic question. The final lecture was ‘Of motion voluntary’, a dis- cussion which echoed Natural History’s concluding chapter. Historians’ interpretations of Enquiries have been scarce, but with few excep- tions they

Published: Jan 1, 2005

Keywords: Royal Society; Voluntary Motion; Anatomical Knowledge; Animal Spirit; Muscular Motion

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