Jacob Moleschott
Encyclopedia
Jacob Moleschott was a Dutch
physiologist and writer on dietetics.
Moleschott studied at Heidelberg
and began the practice of medicine at Utrecht
in 1845, but soon moved to Heidelberg
where he lectured on physiology
at the university, beginning in 1847. Controversial statements made by him in his lectures led to his resignation after seven years at Heidelberg
. Afterwards, he was professor of physiology in Zurich
(1856), in Turin
(1861), and in Rome (1879). Professor Moleschott was a popular lecturer, and his physiological researches are of value. Without asserting the impossibility of a spiritual life, he explained the origin and condition of animals by the working of physical causes. His characteristic formula were "No thought without phosphorus" and "the brain secretes thought as the liver secretes bile." Kleine Schriften
(1880-87) contains his collected essays and addresses. His most important works are:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
physiologist and writer on dietetics.
Moleschott studied at Heidelberg
Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg
The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg is a public research university located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386, it is the oldest university in Germany and was the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire. Heidelberg has been a coeducational institution...
and began the practice of medicine at Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in 1845, but soon moved to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
where he lectured on physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
at the university, beginning in 1847. Controversial statements made by him in his lectures led to his resignation after seven years at Heidelberg
Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg
The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg is a public research university located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386, it is the oldest university in Germany and was the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire. Heidelberg has been a coeducational institution...
. Afterwards, he was professor of physiology in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
(1856), in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
(1861), and in Rome (1879). Professor Moleschott was a popular lecturer, and his physiological researches are of value. Without asserting the impossibility of a spiritual life, he explained the origin and condition of animals by the working of physical causes. His characteristic formula were "No thought without phosphorus" and "the brain secretes thought as the liver secretes bile." Kleine Schriften
Kleine Schriften
is a German phrase often used as a title for a collection of articles and essays written by a single scholar over the course of a career. "Collected Papers" is an English equivalent. These shorter works were usually published previously in various periodicals or in collections of papers written...
(1880-87) contains his collected essays and addresses. His most important works are:
- Physiologie der Nahrungsmittel (1850; second edition, 1859)
- Physiologie des Stoffwechsels in Pflanzen und Thieren (1851)
- Der Kreislauf des Lebens (1852; fifth edition, 1887)
- Untersuchungen zur Naturlehre des Menschen und der tiere (1856-93), continued after his death by Colosanti and Fubini
- Lehre der Nahrungsmittel (1858)
- Sulla vita umana (1861-67), a collection of essays
- Physiologisches Skizzenbuch (1861)
- Consigli e conforti nei tempi di colera (1864; third edition, 1884)
- Sull' influenza della luce mista e cromatica nell' esalazione di acido carbonico per l'organismo animale (1879), with Fubini
- Für meine Freunde (1894)
Sources
- Fredrick Gregory: Scientific Materialism in Nineteenth Century Germany, Springer, Berlin u.a. 1977, ISBN 902770760X
External links
- Short biography and bibliography in the Virtual LaboratoryVirtual LaboratoryThe online project Virtual Laboratory. Essays and Resources on the Experimentalization of Life, 1830-1930, located at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, is dedicated to research in the history of the experimentalization of life...
of the Max Planck Institute for the History of ScienceMax Planck Institute for the History of ScienceThe Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin was established in March 1994. Its research is primarily devoted to a theoretically oriented history of science, principally of the natural sciences, but with methodological perspectives drawn from the cognitive sciences and from...