This open access book offers new insights into the Venetian physician Sanctorius Sanctorius (1561–1636) and into the origins of quantification in medicine. At the turn of the seventeenth century, Sanctorius developed instruments to measure and quantify physiological change. As trivial as the quantitative assessment of health issues might seem to us today – in times of fitness trackers and smart watches – it was highly innovative at that time. With his instruments, Sanctorius introduced quantitative research into the field of physiology. Historical accounts of Sanctorius and his work tend to tell the story of a genius who, almost out of the blue, invented a new medical science, based on measurement and quantification, that profoundly influenced modernity. Abandoning the “genius narrative,” this book examines Sanctorius and his work in the broader perspective of processes of knowledge transformation in early modern medicine. It is the first systematic study to include the entire range of the physician’s intellectual and practical activities. Adopting a material culture perspective, the research draws on the contemporary reconstruction of Sanctorius’s most famous instrument: the Sanctorian weighing chair. And here it departs from past studies that focus mainly on Sanctorius’s thinking rather than on his making and doing. The book also re-evaluates Sanctorius’s role in the wider process of the early transformation of medical culture in the early modern period, a process that ultimately led to the abandonment of Galenic medicine and to the introduction of a new medical science, based on the use of quantification and measurement in medical research. The book is therefore an important contribution to the history of medicine and historical epistemology aimed at historians of science and philosophy.

Unlock the secrets of the human body with this groundbreaking treatise on the principles of static medicine by Martin Lister and Santorio Santorio. Delving deep into the workings of the human body and the role of equilibrium in maintaining health, it provides an indispensable roadmap for medical professionals and laypeople alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This edited volume explores the intersection of medicine and philosophy throughout history, calling attention to the role of quantification in understanding the medical body. Retracing current trends and debates to examine the quantification of the body throughout the early modern, modern and early contemporary age, the authors contextualise important issues of both medical and philosophical significance, with chapters focusing on the quantification of temperaments and fluids, complexions, functions of the living body, embryology, and the impact of quantified reasoning on the concepts of health and illness. With insights spanning from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century, this book provides a wide-ranging overview of attempts to ‘quantify’ the human body at various points. Arguing that medicine and philosophy have been constantly in dialogue with each other, the authors discuss how this provided a strategic opportunity both for medical thought and philosophy to refine and further develop. Given today’s fascination with the quantification of the body, represented by the growing profusion of self-tracking devices logging one’s sleep, diet or mood, this collection offers an important and timely contribution to an emerging and interdisciplinary field of study.

The purpose of this book is to integrate the fact of biological evolution (which, as such, should not be confused with the evolutionary theories and ideologies supposedly based on that fact) with the principles and contents of Thomistic philosophy. After identifying the main difficulties involved in this endeavor—and how they have been addressed by other authors within the Thomistic tradition—we present our own thesis. We begin by arguing that the diversity of species and varieties of corporeal living beings is consistent with Aquinas’ thought. Next, we distinguish between two forms of evolution, namely, intraspecific and transspecific; following the central tenets of Aquinas’ philosophy, the ontological significance and causalities involved in both types of evolution are analyzed. We complete this exposition by offering a general overview of evolutionary history in light of the criteria presented, with emphasis on anthropogenesis. Juan Eduardo Carreño Pavez (1976) holds a PhD in Medical Sciences and a PhD in Philosophy. After completing a postdoc at the Center for Medieval Philosophy, Georgetown University, he returned to the University of los Andes, Chile, where he has a position as Associate Professor. His research has focused on Thomas Aquinas’ thought, mediaeval philosophy, and the dialogue between theology, philosophy and science. He is the author of several articles and monographs, including Vivere viventibus est esse: la vida como perfección del ser en la obra de Tomás de Aquino (Eunsa, 2020), and Una reconsideración del estatus de la mente animal y humana (Ril Editores, 2024).

A new approach to teaching university-level chemistry that links core concepts of chemistry and physical science to current global challenges. Introductory chemistry and physics are generally taught at the university level as isolated subjects, divorced from any compelling context. Moreover, the “formalism first” teaching approach presents students with disembodied knowledge, abstract and learned by rote. By contrast, this textbook presents a new approach to teaching university-level chemistry that links core concepts of chemistry and physical science to current global challenges. It provides the rigorous development of the principles of chemistry but places these core concepts in a global context to engage developments in technology, energy production and distribution, the irreversible nature of climate change, and national security. Each chapter opens with a “Framework” section that establishes the topic’s connection to emerging challenges. Next, the “Core” section addresses concepts including the first and second law of thermodynamics, entropy, Gibbs free energy, equilibria, acid-base reactions, electrochemistry, quantum mechanics, molecular bonding, kinetics, and nuclear. Finally, the “Case Studies” section explicitly links the scientific principles to an array of global issues. These case studies are designed to build quantitative reasoning skills, supply the technology background, and illustrate the critical global need for the infusion of technology into energy generation. The text’s rigorous development of both context and scientific principles equips students for advanced classes as well as future involvement in scientific and societal arenas. University Chemistry was written for a widely adopted course created and taught by the author at Harvard.