books@cc.

How the secrests of the brain were uncovered in seventeenth-century England
by Carl Zimmer (2004)

An account of how people “first” became aware of the secrets of human brain in the seventeenth century, with particular focus on major players, i.e. Thomas Willis and his contemporaries such as Wren, Descartes, Harvey, Boyle and Hooke.

Zimmer traces earlier development of thoughts concerning hearts, minds and thoughts (“soul”) from the ancient Greeks to major schools and names such as Galen, Vesalius, Paracelsus up until Willis’ time which — while relatively interesting — can be rather redundant for those familiar with general history of natural philosophy. When he arrives at Willis’ time, his account does get more detailed, though a more significant proportion is dedicated to the personalities (“dramatis personae” list is also appended at the end of the book) and the surrounding politics rather than the history of the brain study itself.

At his final chapter, Zimmer rounds it up by analysing how today’s neuroscience is influenced by Willis’ works, as well as the ubiquitous anxiety on the dichotomy of mental and physical ailments concerning mental disorders. As a historical account this book is quite worth reading, but not if you’re looking for something more specific on neuroscience.

Tags:Europe, history, neuroscience, science
Europe, Zimmer, Carl, history, science

January 14, 2007 @ 3:33 am