scholarly journals Cadaver Imitations used in Anatomical Demonstrations: Wax Modelling in the 18th Century

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (21) ◽  
pp. 11-24
Author(s):  
Réka Krizbai ◽  
Judit Forrai

The use of wax models has a long history associated with various connotations and practices. For centuries, models were predominantly of votive and devotional nature until the birth of anatomical wax modelling of the 18th century, when wax gained pre-eminently scientific connotations, parallel with all earlier practices. In this period, wax was found very suitable for scientific demonstrations by its plasticity through high level of naturalistic imitation. This is why it was chosen for manufacturing anatomical models, which showed contemporary knowledge about the human body in a comprehensive manner. The first centres of anatomical wax model production were established in Bologna, and then in Florence. Although such models were produced in other European countries, these two studios, especially the Florentine one, preserved its dominance, and exported models outside of Italy too. Yet there were general rules and manufactural techniques in some principles the studios showed different approaches in modelling. The Anatomical Venus, a specific genre of anatomical wax models, offered a valuable insight of reflections about contemporary ideas of female body, gender features and various connotations in a single wax object.

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lotti ◽  
A. Altobelli ◽  
S. Bambi ◽  
M. Poggesi

Anatomical illustration has evolved through the centuries, first having artistic and educational purposes and later more strictly medical objectives. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, the analytical model (representation of individual parts, organs and systems) gave way to the composite model (description of the human body as a whole). Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, there was a reversal of tendency: initially the anatomist requested the help of artists, but later the artist asked anatomists to check the accuracy of his work. In this way, anatomical illustration reached a high level of precision. This period also saw the creation of the “La Specola” Zoology Museum's collection of anatomical wax models. Initiated in the eighteenth century, it also included a series of contemporary colour illustrations executed by various artists. Most of the illustrations concern human anatomy, while a small number deal with comparative anatomy. These illustrations, each accompanied by one or more explanatory sheets, were produced to help explain the corresponding wax models. The anatomical wax model collection has been well preserved through the centuries, maintaining its ancient splendour, and it is the object of continuing research and restoration interventions.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 699
Author(s):  
Ruifeng Wang ◽  
Xiong Wu ◽  
Yanliang Zhai ◽  
Yuxuan Su ◽  
Chenhui Liu

Chengde City boasts a wealth of high-quality mineral water resources characterized by a high level of strontium (Sr), a low level of sodium, and low alkalinity. In order to study the mechanism of formation of Sr-bearing mineral water in Chengde and to scientifically guide future mineral water exploration, taking three typical mineral water exploration areas in Chengde as examples, this paper studies the sources of Sr in mineral water and the general rules of its dissolution via a laboratory static leaching experiment and impact experiments, and it provides an analysis of the characteristics of typical rock samples. The research results indicate that the content of Sr in surrounding rock and the characteristics of minerals existing in surrounding rock jointly control the dissolution of Sr in water; that CO2 can promote the formation of mineral water containing Sr; and that temperature increases may boost the dissolution of Sr from carbonate minerals but also inhibit the dissolution of Sr from silicate minerals.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002085232199642
Author(s):  
Ringa Raudla ◽  
James W. Douglas ◽  
Zachary Mohr

Civil servants vary in the degree to which they hold technocratic attitudes. We explore whether bureaucrats’ exposure to politics and politicians is associated with the depoliticization dimension of the technocratic mentality. We use survey data of high-level executives in 19 European countries to explore factors that are associated with executives’ perceptions that removing issues and activities from the realms of politics leads to more farsighted policies. We find that respondents’ level of exposure to politics and politicians is indeed negatively associated with technocratic mentality. Bureaucrats have studied political science or public administration, work closer to politicians (in terms of type of organization), interact with them more frequently, and have more positive perceptions of these interactions tend to have lower levels of technocratic attitudes. Points for practitioners Beliefs affect behaviors and behaviors affect outcomes. Technocratic attitudes may limit the ability of civil servants to work effectively with politicians. We show that educational degrees that promote democratic values and exposure to politicians (particularly positive interactions) are associated with lower levels of technocratic attitudes. Given that a proper balance between political and technical knowledge can enhance organizational performance (Krause et al., 2006), these findings should be taken into account when staffing and structuring public organizations.


Author(s):  
Maksim Anisimov

Heinrich Gross was a diplomat of the Empress of Russia Elizabeth Petrovna, a foreigner on the Russian service who held some of the most important diplomatic posts of her reign. As the head of Russian diplomatic missions in European countries, he was an immediate participant in the rupture of both Franco-Russian and Russo-Prussian diplomatic relations and witnessed the beginning of the Seven Years' War, while in the capital of Saxony, besieged by Prussian troops. After that H. Gross was one of the members of the collective leadership of the Russian Collegium of Foreign Affairs. So far there is only one biographic essay about him written in the 19th century. The aims of this article are threefold. Using both published foreign affairs-related documentation and diplomatic documents stored in the Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire, it attempts to systematize the materials of the biography of this important participant in international events. It also seeks to assess his professional qualities and get valuable insight into his role both in the major events of European politics and in the implementation of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire in the mid-18th century. Moreover, the account of the diplomatic career of H. Gross presented in this essay aims to generate genuine interest among researchers in the personality and professional activities of one of the most brilliant Russian diplomats of the Enlightenment Era.


Author(s):  
Abigail Berry

The famous anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu argued that there is an “unnatural idea of inborn culture, of a gift of culture, bestowed on certain people by Nature.” [1] Bourdieu is arguing that people, who have not been born into a higher class, or who cannot receive a high level of education, are unable to appreciate and understand art. The study of art history is expensive, and often involves extremely high travel costs, thus making it inaccessible to anybody who does not enjoy the means to pursue it. How can we address this accessibility problem in the study of art history? Is there any way to bring art to the people who do not possess “inborn culture?” Bourdieu wrote his book on art and class in 1984, at a time when the computer, and its democratizing potential, was a new and little -understood invention. My research proposes that modern technology provides an answer to this problem, which has plagued the discipline of art history. This presentation will examine three research projects that I’ve been working on at Queen’s. Each project uses digital technologies to improve the general public’s knowledge and access to art. The projects are all different: the first focuses on creating a digital model of 18th - century Canterbury Cathedral based on a book from W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections, the second project works on understanding Herstmonceux Castle and medieval England through technology, and the third involves image processing for art historical investigations. Despite their differences, each project makes art accessible to people who do not possess Bourdieu’s definition of “inborn culture.”        


2020 ◽  
pp. 498-500
Author(s):  
Doroteea TEOIBAS-SERBAN ◽  
Liviu IORDACHE ◽  
Dan BLENDEA

Introduction. Pucioasa is one of the greater and sadly, almost forgotten balneological resort of Romania. Known since the 18th century, where it was discovered a record of this area on the Austrian map in 1791 with sulphurous streams, the healing waters of the “Pe Pucioasa” hill enters the therapeutic balneological circle when the first water analysis occurred – 1821-1828 by Dr. Trangot von Schobel. In 1878, Ion Ghica, a prominent figure in Romania at that time initiated the exploitation of 14 wells from the 30 known streams of sulphurous and ferruginous waters, thus obtaining enough healing mineral water for a capacity of 60 beds of the balneological establishment. Since 1841, the Resort developed, transformed into a Rehabilitation Clinic (1969) and the number of patients treated there increased from 20 in the beginning to 1000 patient per day. Many of the patients included foreign elite society members who came regularly to benefit from the waters’ healing properties, both external and internal cures, setting Pucioasa on a high level of not only balneology treatment, but also of balneological tourism. Matherials and methods: Studying local industrializations and water analysis, we concluded that there were many factors that contributed to the decline of this great and international renowned balneological resort. The first wrong step in this direction was made when building and extending de gypsum carrier, the peek being between 1970 and 1975, when the industrial forging process made the sulphurous streams to migrate, and the waters from the wells diminished in its sulphur and iron concentration. Another possible factor for the decline can be the modernisation of the medical world, development of anti-inflammatory drugs and modern medical equipment which reduced the need for the elite society to come a long distance for the balneological treatment. Results: Whichever of the reasons, the once prosperous Balneological Resort of Pucioasa fell into an unknown, unimpressive place, known and frequented only by the locals. The Rehabilitation Clinic still has 60 beds, which are occupied to the maximum each month, it still prospers on a local level, but lost its glory from almost a century ago. Conclusions: The Romanian general population and the government must take an interest to one of the many once prosperous balneological resorts in order to revive the national treasure of Romania which is balneology, which many of the developed European countries only wish that they can possess. Keywords: Balneary Resort, Pucioasa,


2016 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 75-110
Author(s):  
Roman Sznajder ◽  

In this work we focus on research contacts of Leonhard Euler with Polish scientists of his era, mainly with those from the city of Gdańsk (then Gedanum, Danzig). L. Euler was the most prolific mathematician of all times, the most outstanding mathematician of the 18th century, and one of the best ever. The complete edition of his manuscripts is still in process (Kleinert 2015; Kleinert, Mattmüller 2007). Euler’s contacts with French, German, Russian, and Swiss scientists have been widely known, while relations with Poland, then one of the largest European countries, are still in oblivion. Euler visited Poland only once, in June of 1766, on his way back from Berlin to St. Petersburg. He was hosted for ten days in Warsaw by Stanisław II August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland. Many Polish scientists were introduced to Euler, not only from mathematical circles, but also astronomers and geographers. The correspondence of Euler with Gdańsk scientists and officials, including Carl L. Ehler, Heinrich Kühn and Nathanael M. von Wolf, originated already in the mid-1730s. We highlight the relations of L. Euler with H. Kühn, a professor of mathematics at the Danzig Academic Gymnasium and arguably the best Polish mathematician of his era. It was H. Kühn from whom Euler learned about the Königsberg Bridge Problem; hence one can argue that the beginning of the graph theory and topology of the plane originated in Gdańsk. In addition, H. Kühn was the first mathematician who proposed a geometric interpretation of complex numbers, the theme very much appreciated by Euler. Findings included in this paper are either unknown or little known to a general mathematical community.


2021 ◽  
Vol LXXVII (77) ◽  
pp. 193-209
Author(s):  
MAREK KASZEWSKI

W tekście podejmowana jest problematyka ograniczeń procesu kategoryzacji klas derywatów deminutywnych oraz symilatywnych w dobie średniopolskiej. Celem opracowania było wskazanie potencjalnych przyczyn blokowania procesów kategoryzacyjnych klas historycznych deminutywów oraz symilatywów. W zakresie metodologii i ustaleń terminologicznych wykorzystano osiągnięcia tzw. „katowickiej szkoły słowotwórstwa historycznego”. Głównym źródłem materiału leksykalnego stał się trójjęzyczny dykcjonarz M.A. Troca z 1764 roku (jego III tom, z polszczyzną jako językiem wyjściowym). Świadomość lingwistyczna autora tego słownika, przejawiająca się w sposobie organizacji wyrażeń hasłowych oraz doboru ekwiwalentów wraz z definicjami, rzuciła nowe światło na sposób identyfikowania kategorii deminutywów, symilatywów, a także formacji tautologicznych przez dawnych użytkowników języka. Okazało się, że w drugiej połowie XVIII wieku żadna z tych klas nie wykrystalizowała swoich dominant, zaś czynnikiem, który mógł podtrzymywać ten stan, była obecność w języku znacznej liczby derywatów tautologicznych względem podstawy, budowanych z udziałem wielofunkcyjnych formantów z podstawowymi sufiksalnymi spółgłoskami -k- i -c-. Diminutivity, similativity and word-formation tautology in Middle Polish (illustrated with data from M.A. Troc’s Dictionary) Summary: The text deals with the limitations of the categorization process of the classes of diminutive and similative derivatives in Middle Polish. The aim of the study was to identify the potential reasons for the blocking of the categorization processes of the historical classes of diminutives and similatives. The methodology and terminology used in the paper follows the achievements of the so-called “Katowice school of historical word-formation”. The 1764 trilingual dictionary by M.A. Troc (Volume 3, with Polish as the input language) was the main source of lexical material. Based on the analysis of the presented material, one can conclude that the linguistic awareness of the lexicographer, manifested through the organization of dictionary entries and the choice of foreign equivalents and their definitions, may shed a new light on the categorical system of historical derivatives. In lack of sufficient Polish-language contexts, the translational character of lexicographic sources lets us gain information about the semantic and stylistic value of Polish lexical units on the basis of their foreign equivalents or their foreign-language definitions provided by dictionaries. The category of diminutive names in the second half of the 18th century did not yet crystallize its dominants, and the class of similative names had a similar formal and semantic status. Both classes constituted products of sets that contained derivative units, assuming a diminishing or similative function. The factor that inhibited the process of the crystallization of the dominants in the mentioned classes was the extremely high level of word-formation tautology, which did not allow language users to identify the real functions of multifunctional formants with the basic consonants -k- and -c-.


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