The Professor of Secrets: Mystery, Medicine, and Alchemy in Renaissance Italy [Kindle Edition] Author: William Eamon | Language: English | ISBN:
B0036S4C7K | Format: PDF, EPUB
The Professor of Secrets: Mystery, Medicine, and Alchemy in Renaissance Italy
You can download The Professor of Secrets: Mystery, Medicine, and Alchemy in Renaissance Italy from with Mediafire Link Download Link In the tradition of Galileo's Daughter and Brunelleschi's Dome, this exciting story illuminates the captivating world of the late Renaissance—in this case its plagues, remedies, and alchemy—through the life of Leonardo Fioravanti, a brilliant, remarkably forward-thinking, and utterly unconventional doctor. Fioravanti's marvelous cures and talent for self-aggrandizement earned him the adoration of the people, the scorn of the medical establishment, and a reputation as one of the age's most colorful, combative figures. Written by Pulitzer-prize nominated historian William Eamon, The Professor of Secrets entices readers into a dangerous scientific underworld of sorcerers and surgeons. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, this gripping narrative will appeal to those interested in Renaissance history, the development of science, and the historical thrillers so popular today. Books with free ebook downloads available The Professor of Secrets: Mystery, Medicine, and Alchemy in Renaissance Italy
- File Size: 1249 KB
- Print Length: 368 pages
- Publisher: National Geographic; 1 edition (July 20, 2010)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0036S4C7K
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
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- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,410 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
Imagine this: you are sitting in a hall together with many other people anxiously waiting for the show to start. All of you have paid an entry fee. At one end of the hall stage there is one famous doctor,and at the other end stands another doctor. Both physicians have different views about many medical issues. Then,when everything is ready,three cadavers are introduced to the audience. The bodies belong to criminals who were convicted either of murder or theft.
The show is about to begin. Here another doctor shows up,and he will perform an anatomical dissection live. He asks the audience to be quiet and all the jokes and chats stop.
This kind of thing actually took place in Italy during the sixteenth century,when Flemish anatomist Andreas Vesalius arrived in Bolognia to perform a series of anatomical demonstrations. Among those who attended one such show was Leonardo Fioravanti,23 years old and the subject of this fascinating volume. He was disgusted by what he saw,and the whole affair reminded him of a butcher's shop. He concluded that doctors might know a lot about the various body organs,but when it comes to knowing the reasons for so many diseases,their knowledge is almost nil.
The times were hard: devastating plagues were rampant,corsairs were abundant prowling the Mediterranean Sea,violence was everywhere in Italy,murders were committed en masse in Rome,and barbers bled their patients along with giving them a shave.
Fioravanti believed,like many others,that it was the duty of the doctor to find a miracle cure for each disease. He asserted that all diseases stem from one ot two causes: either the bad quality and indisposition of the stomach,or "the alteration and putrefaction of the blood".
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