Book Review

The Fabric of Life: Microscopy in the seventeenth century

N Engl J Med 1997; 336:1460May 15, 1997

Article

The Fabric of Life: Microscopy in the seventeenth century
By Marian Fournier. 267 pp. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. $47.50. ISBN: 0-8018-5138-6

Today, one rarely thinks of the microscope as an important instrument of high technology. Yet, even in this age of computed tomographic scans and gene sequences, the humble microscope is arguably the medical device used most often. Soon after its invention in the early 1600s, the microscope was used to produce an amazing array of images and evidence, heralding a series of scientific breakthroughs easily the equal of any the world has seen since then. In this slim, readable book, Fournier describes well the first century of the new device and conveys the excitement as humankind glimpsed for the first time such now-familiar objects as spermatozoa, the compound eye of an insect, and the passage of blood corpuscles through the capillary blood vessels.

Yet the history of the microscope is not the simple, triumphant story of a brilliant invention quickly applied to a wide range of topics. Despite the great excitement during the first few decades of its existence, by the turn of the 18th century, the microscope seemed to have faded almost completely from view, with only one person still actively using the instrument, the Dutch investigator Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.

The microscope's decline was due in part to a shift in the topics of study from the workings of organic matter to the appearance of small animals. But Fournier does more than merely describe the rise and fall of interest in the microscope. She explores in depth the reasons for these changes. Although there were modifications in the technical characteristics of the microscope, they do not go far toward explaining the pattern of its use. Far more important were changes in ideas about the structure and function of living beings. The author's analysis of how and when the microscope was used demonstrates how this technical device acquired meaning only within a specific social and intellectual context.

Although contemporary medical practice is not the subject of this monograph, the author offers useful lessons for observers of medicine in the late 20th century. We are not the first generation to be dazzled by new imaging devices; it would be naive to think that we are so different from people in the past that previous experiences have no relevance. Moreover, technology — even technology that in retrospect seems obviously destined to be useful — makes its way into routine practice only after a period of debate and discussion. Understanding the process by which new tools make their way into practice is essential if we are to learn useful lessons from the past. Simple, monocausal histories of medical technology may be appealing, but they are often incomplete and usually misleading. This subtle, sophisticated account of events in the 17th century has much to teach those who seek a better understanding of medical practice today.

Joel D. Howell, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0604