PMID: 11618877Mar 1, 1996Paper

Marcello Malpighi's theory of medicine

Nihon ishigaku zasshi. [Journal of Japanese history of medicine]
K Ito

Abstract

Marcello Malpighi (1628-94) was the most important anatomist of Seventeenth-Century Italy. He investigated chiefly the minute structures of living things with the microscope, as his discovery of the capillary vessels of the lung, and his description of the Malpighi-corpuscle of the kidney has showed. Malpighi discusses the role of anatomy in medicine in the "Risposta" to G.G. Sbaraglia's "De recentiorum medicorum" in which it was insisted that anatomical study with the microscope makes no contribution to practical cure. Malpighi's argument for the anatomical study is based on the mechanistic view of nature. He considers living things analogous to machines made up of minute parts, and believes that the cure of diseases must be done as the repair of broken machines. He insists that by the dissection of the bodies of dead patients we should get knowledge of the relation between the change of tissues and the symptom of disease. Naturally it is impossible to explain the cause of disease only by the mechanistic explanation as Malpighi insisted, but his mechanistic view largely influenced the methodology of Morgagni, the father of modern pathological anatomy in the eighteenth century.

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology = Archivio Italiano Di Anatomia Ed Embriologia
V Mezzogiorno, A Mezzogiorno
Journal of B.U.ON. : Official Journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology
G Androutsos
Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology = Archivio Italiano Di Anatomia Ed Embriologia
Marianna Karamanou, George Androutsos
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved