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A Subtle and Mysterious MachineIntroduction

A Subtle and Mysterious Machine: Introduction CHAPTER I Walter Charleton is an intriguing character—he flits through the diaries of Pepys and Evelyn, the correspondence of Margaret Cavendish, and his texts appear in the libraries of better-known contemporaries. We catch sight of him conversing with Pepys about teeth, arguing with Inigo Jones about the origin of Stonehenge, being lampooned in contemporary satire, stealing from the Royal Society, and embarrassing himself in anatomical procedures. While extremely active in a broad range of Royal Society investigations, his main discovery there seems to have been that tadpoles turned into frogs. As a practising physician of limited means, Walter Charleton was reliant for his living upon patrons and his medical practice—in addition he had the mis- fortune to live in an era of dramatic political change, and consequently of unpredictable fortune. His achievements were known on the Continent. Despite his embarrassments in Royal Society anatomical investigation he was offered the prestigious chair of anatomy at the University of Padua. He turned down this extraordinary opportunity, only to die destitute in his native country a couple of decades later. The lugubrious doctor is without doubt an enigma. Charleton’s Anglicanism and staunch Royalism were unwavering throughout his career. The latter caused difficulties http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A Subtle and Mysterious MachineIntroduction

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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30 pages

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Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Copyright
© Springer 2005
ISBN
978-1-4020-3377-3
Pages
1 –31
DOI
10.1007/1-4020-3378-8_1
Publisher site
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Abstract

CHAPTER I Walter Charleton is an intriguing character—he flits through the diaries of Pepys and Evelyn, the correspondence of Margaret Cavendish, and his texts appear in the libraries of better-known contemporaries. We catch sight of him conversing with Pepys about teeth, arguing with Inigo Jones about the origin of Stonehenge, being lampooned in contemporary satire, stealing from the Royal Society, and embarrassing himself in anatomical procedures. While extremely active in a broad range of Royal Society investigations, his main discovery there seems to have been that tadpoles turned into frogs. As a practising physician of limited means, Walter Charleton was reliant for his living upon patrons and his medical practice—in addition he had the mis- fortune to live in an era of dramatic political change, and consequently of unpredictable fortune. His achievements were known on the Continent. Despite his embarrassments in Royal Society anatomical investigation he was offered the prestigious chair of anatomy at the University of Padua. He turned down this extraordinary opportunity, only to die destitute in his native country a couple of decades later. The lugubrious doctor is without doubt an enigma. Charleton’s Anglicanism and staunch Royalism were unwavering throughout his career. The latter caused difficulties

Published: Jan 1, 2005

Keywords: Early Life; Royal Society; Seventeenth Century; Scientific Revolution; Medical Work

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