Book Review

“Divulging of Useful Truths in Physick:” The Medical Agenda of Robert Boyle

N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1545-1546May 26, 1994

Article

“Divulging of Useful Truths in Physick:” The Medical Agenda of Robert Boyle
By Barbara Beigun Kaplan. 216 pp. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. $40. ISBN: 0-8018-4601-3

The applicability to modern medicine of Newton's comment about “standing upon the shoulders of Giants” is vividly brought home to the reader of Barbara Kaplan's book on Robert Boyle. By repeatedly presenting information about the great natural scientist in its historical milieu, Kaplan dramatically portrays the groundbreaking importance of Boyle's contribution to modern science, and modern medicine in particular.

In the 17th century, the sharp lines between what is now considered medicine and the other scientific disciplines either were not drawn at all or, at best, were very fluid. Hence, though Boyle's only medical degree was an honorary one conferred on him late in life, it was not considered inappropriate in those times for a great natural scientist to have ideas and suggestions crossing over into the field of medicine.

Kaplan begins by giving us a sense of the climate of the times. Medicine was a learned profession, but its learning was mostly gleaned by looking backward. Galenical medicine and its philosophy all but reigned supreme. Medical factionalism and religious sectarianism were widespread. The author shows how Boyle's lifelong commitment to irenic Protestantism carried over into his scientific philosophy. Consequently, we see his repeated calls for cooperation among the researchers in a field as well as on an interdisciplinary level. Boyle's emphasis on the empirical method of scientific investigation was revolutionary; his insistence on the tentativeness of his conclusions was refreshing (as it would be today).

The presentation of Boyle's major contributions is skillfully interwoven throughout the book. For example, one of Boyle's key scientific insights was his corpuscular hypothesis (a remarkable foreshadowing of the atomic hypothesis). This is not merely catalogued and then dropped; rather, its importance to science and medicine is developed throughout the book. Similarly, the integration of his major ideas can be seen in Kaplan's presentation of Boyle's insight regarding causes of disease, “effluvia,” and the uses in medical treatment of specific chemicals either alone or in combination, in contrast to the prevailing generalized approaches of Galenical medicine, such as the widespread use of purgatives and bloodletting.

Carefully researched and thoroughly referenced, the book admirably succeeds in sticking to its thesis of illustrating the medical agenda of Robert Boyle. Readers will have to look elsewhere if they expect to find out how Boyle's law came about.

This is not a biography of Boyle, yet it contains tantalizing biographical fragments; bits about Boyle's hypochondriasis, the disorganized state of his work and his papers, his poor vision and his particular interest in eye disorders, his distrust of doctors, and his interest in developing his own drugs (one of his favorite recipes was the ens veneris) make one eager to learn more about him as a man. The reader hoping for more must turn to a more traditional biography of Boyle, perhaps R.E.W. Maddison's Life of the Honorable Robert Boyle (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1969).

Although this book will appeal most to those interested in medical history, it would be unfortunate if students considering entering the field of medicine and physicians already engaged in its practice were to deny themselves the opportunity of learning about one of the true giants of science. His scientific trailblazing, the strength of his faith, his remarkable insights, and other glittering aspects of his genius (for, surely, genius he was) come through most impressively in this fine work of medical historiography.

Arthur S. Verdesca, M.D.
American International Group, New York, NY 10270