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seat of the soul. His investigation in support of this hypothesis advanced our
knowledge of the anatomy of the brain and provoked important philosophical
discussion.
‘The eVect of Soemmering’s publication was sensational. But it also provoked
much criticsm. It was openly rejected by others. What the profession had
to say was of minor importance when compared with the comments made by
two of Soemmering’s greatest contemporaries: Goethe and Kant. The work
was dedicated to Kant.’ (Riese p. 314.)
Soemmering corresponded with Kant before the publication of the book
and invited him to write a response to his work. Kant’s ‘Bemerkungen
zu Soemmering’s Ueber das Organ der Seele’ were appended to a letter to
Seommering, 10 August 1795, and Wrst printed here, on on pp. 81–86.
Tab I is ‘the Wrst correct picture of the mesial aspect of the cerebral
hemispheres, a sagittal section, showing the ventricular system and its walls’
(Riese p. 312). According to Choulant it was still the best available in 1852,
though Riese says that it falls far short of modern illustrations. Tab II
‘represents the fourth ventricle of the brain opened from above and from
behind’ (Choulant). The plates were drawn by Christian Koeck (1759–1825),
trained by Soemmering as a scientiWc draughtsman. Tab I is followed by an
outline plate, also labeled as Tab I; Tab II has the shaded and outline images
one above the other. The outlines are keyed to the printed captions on the
last leaf of letterpress.
Laid in is a long autograph letter from Walther Riese to Pagel (‘Mein Lieber
Walter (ohne H.) Pagel...’) dated 10 March 1966 and referring to Riese’s
article on the book (present as a photocopy).
Walther Riese, ‘The 150th anniversary of S. T. Soemmering’s Organ of the Soul.
The reaction of his contemporaries and its signiWcance today’, Bulletin of the History
of Medicine, 20 (1946) 310–321.
174
SPALLANZANI, Lazzaro (1729­1799)
De’ fenomeni della circolazione osservata nel giro universale de’
vasi; de’ fenomeni della circolazione languente; de’ moti del sangue
independenti dall’azione del cuore; e del pulsar delle arterie.
Modena: presso la Società TipograWca, 1773.
8vo: a4 A–X8 Y4 , 176 leaves, pp. viii 343 [1].
1 engraved plate (bound facing p. 4).
203 x 133mm. Some light foxing. A good fresh copy.
Binding: Contemporary sheep backed boards. Worn.
Provenance: Presentation copy to Charles Bonnet (1720–1793) with
inscription ‘Donné p. l’Aut’ and Bonnet’s signature. Walter Pagel’s
signature dated 1956 on pastedown.
First edition. Norman Library 1980.
‘Spallanzani demonstrated that the arterial pulse is due not to mere cardiac
displacements but to lateral pressure upon and expansile wall from cardiac
impulsions conveyed by the blood column. A total of 337 experiments were