ERNST ANTON NICOLAI - A SILENT SCIENTIST AND IATROGEN MUSICIAN

97th DOG Annual Meeting 1999

V280
ERNST ANTON NICOLAI - A SILENT SCIENTIST AND IATROGEN MUSICIAN

J. Herde

There is a report on a man, who was trained by the famous scholars Friedrich Hoffmann and by Christian Wolff at the Universitas Fredericiana Halensis, and by the theories of G.E. Stahl, too. Here he was prepared for the universal natural scientific scholar function. He was born September 7, 1722 in Sondershausen. Nicolai moved to Halle in 1740 to study medicine. The humoralpathology, the solidarpathology, the theory of the tonus, the animismus, the chemistry and the philosophy were the special study subjects of him. After the graduation in 1745 and the qualification for a lectureship in 1748 in Halle he became the assistant professor. Besides of the teaching in ophthalmology too, at the Fredericiana in Halle he published "Die Verbindung der Musik mit der Arzneygelahrtheit" (1745), "Gedanken von Thränen und Weinen" (1748), "Gedanken von der Erzeugung von Mißßgeburten..." (1749). Nicolai supported the publishing of scientific works in German language. The appointment to the University in Jena in 1758 has proved his sharp-witted critical and logical scientific work. Under the leadership of the three professors - Nicolai, Gruner and Loder - the university in Jena get to ist hey-days. In Jena he has written 15 own works and 158 medical dissertations under his leadership. In his most important book "Pathology or science of the diseases" he devoted some chapter on ophthalmology. He compared his own accurate observations and descriptions with the latest findings. J.W. Goethe listened to his lectures.

Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde der Martin-Luther-Universität, Magdeburger Straße 8, 06097 Halle

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