Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 58.djvu/580

572 celebrated collection in all Amsterdam. This was stored, not only with treasures, showing the civilization of remote countries, but, also, with specimens of natural history, for which he had a decided liking. Thus "from the earliest dawn of his understanding the young Swammerdam was surrounded by zoological specimens, and from the joint influence, doubtless, of hereditary taste and early association, he became passionately devoted to the study of natural history."

His father intended him for the church, but he had no taste for divinity, though he became a fanatic in religious matters towards the close of his life; at this period he could brook no restraint in word or action. He consented to study medicine, but for some reason he was twenty-six years old before entering the University of Leyden. This delay was very likely due to his precarious health, but. in the meantime, he had not been idle; he had devoted himself to observation and study with great ardor, and had already become an expert in minute dissection. When he went to the University, therefore, he at once took high rank in anatomy. Anything demanding fine manipulation and skill was directly in his line.

At Leyden he studied anatomy under the renowned Sylvius and surgery under Van Horne. He also continued his studies in Paris, and about 1667 took his M. D. degree.

During this period of medical study he made some rather important observations in human anatomy, and introduced the method of injection that was afterwards claimed by Ruysch. In 1664 he discovered the values of lymphatic vessels by the use of slender glass tubes and, three years later, first used a waxy material for injecting blood vessels.

It should be noted, in passing, that Swammerdam was the first to observe and describe the blood corpuscles. As early as 1658 he described them in the blood of the frog, but his observations were not published till fifty-seven years after his death by Boerhaave, and, therefore, he does not get the credit of this discovery. Publication alone establishes priority, not first observation, but there is conclusive evidence that he observed the blood corpuscles before either Malpighi or Leeuwenhoek had published their observations.

After graduating in medicine he did not practise, but followed his st long inclination to devote himself to minute anatomy. This led to differences with his father, who insisted on his going into practise, but the self-willed stubbornness and firmness of his nature showed themselves. It was from no love of ease that Swammerdam thus held out against his father, but to be able to follow ah irresistible leading towards minute anatomy. At last his father was planning to stop supplies, in order to force him into the desired channel, but Swammerdam made efforts, without success, to sell his own personal collection and preserve his independence. His father died, leaving him sufficient property to live