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Om darrningar. Emanuel Swedenborgs iatromekanik

På svenska

Author

Summary, in English

On the basis of his daily life experiences of water waves the Swedish natural philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) could use the wave metaphor to transfer the qualities of these waves to other physical phenomena such as sound waves and light waves. In the last issue of his scientific journal Dædalus Hyperboreus (1718), he published an overview of a new theory of tremulations. Swedenborg's most original idea was put forward more in detail in a manuscript of 1720. He maintained that life consists of waves or tremors of the nerves. The body is like a musical instrument. He was a typical follower of iatromechanics, describing the body as a machine with pumps, levers, bellows and so forth. Of special interest is his use of the metaphor of the circle. There are many different kinds of circulations in the body, such as the blood circulation, and respiration, which are parallels to the planetary motions.

Publishing year

2006

Language

Swedish

Pages

27-48

Publication/Series

Svensk medicinhistorisk tidskrift

Volume

9

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Föreningen för utgivande av Svensk medicinhistorisk tidskrift

Topic

  • History of Ideas

Keywords

  • anatomy
  • Emanuel Swedenborg
  • history of medicine
  • physiology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1402-9871