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Sanctorius

Born: 29 March 1561, Capodistria, Venetian Republic (now Koper)

Died: 22 February 1636, Venice

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Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy

Abstract

Sanctorius was an important Renaissance physician and physiologist. He is best known for his role in developing experimental medicine and incorporating instruments of quantification like the thermometer into clinical medicine, and he is considered the founder of metabolic studies. Engaging in an extended period of self-experimentation, Sanctorius employed a specifically designed weighing device to measure his ingestion, excretion, and body weight under different conditions over the course of 30 years, using this data to quantify insensible perspiration, the perspiration occurring through respiration and the pores.

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References

  • For a more extensive list of works by Sanctorius, including editions and translations, see Arturo Castiglione 1931.

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Primary Literature

  • Sanctorius, Sanctorius. 1612. Commentaria in artem medicinalem Galeni. Franciscum Somascum. Venice.

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  • Sanctorius, Sanctorius. 1614. Ars de statica medicina sectionibus aphorismorum septem comprehensa. Nicolaum Polum. Venice.

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  • Sanctorius, Sanctorius. 1626. Commentaria in primam Fen primi libri Canonis Avicennae. Venice.

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  • Sanctorius, Sanctorius. 1629. Commentaria in primam sectionem aphorismorum Hippocratis. Marcum Antonium Brogollium. Venice.

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  • Sanctorius, Sanctorius. 1676. Medicina statica: Or, rules of health. Trans. J.D. London: John Starkey.

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  • Sanctorius, Sanctorius. 1718. Medicina statica: Being the aphorisms of Sanctorius. Translated with large explanations by John Quincy. London: W. Newton.

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Secondary Literature

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  • Wright, William F. 2016. Early evolution of the thermometer and application to clinical medicine. Journal of Thermal Biology 56: 18–30. doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.12.003.

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Correspondence to Jan Purnis .

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Purnis, J. (2016). Sanctorius. In: Sgarbi, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_970-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_970-1

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