This well-researched biography of a forgotten scientist also
suggests a revealing view of 19th-century American science. Warren,
a professor at the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in
Philadelphia, gives an account of the man who was once considered
the most distinguished American biologist of his time, while also
exploring some reasons for his present-day obscurity. Like Darwin,
a contemporary, Leidy the boy was a passionate observer and
collector of natural specimens. Forced by his parents to study
medicine, he practiced only briefly in Philadelphia before his
descriptions and drawings of mollusks brought him recognition from
the leading scientific societies in the country. When he was 23,
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia named him its
librarian and, soon after, chairman of its board of curators. He
also became curator of the Anatomical Museum at the University of
Pennsylvania and professor of anatomy, as well as chair of the
anatomy department there. Although he taught anatomy and wrote a
basic textbook on the subject, his love was natural history -
protozoology, parasitology, paleontology, entomology. As his
reputation grew, field collectors sent him specimens from around
the country to identify. He duly studied them, producing a
remarkable mass of data on tens of thousands of organisms. However,
the era of descriptive science, Leidy's domain, was already ending,
replaced by a new age of experimental science. Consequently, his
work, though impressive, began to seem outmoded. Unlike Darwin, the
conservative Philadelphian avoided controversy and did not
theorize; no grand synthesis emerged from his work. A sympathetic
portrait of a talented, diligent man who laid a foundation for
others, but lacked the imagination to build a memorable monument.
(Kirkus Reviews)
Contemporaries of the modest and unassuming scientist Joseph Leidy
(1823-91) revered him as the supreme consultant in questions
relating to human anatomy, paleontology, protozoology,
parasitology, anthropology, mineralogy, botany, and numerous other
scientific fields. Leidy's achievements and the breadth of his
scientific interests and knowledge were astonishing. He seemed, in
short, to be the man who knew everything. This is the first
published biography of the remarkable Joseph Leidy-a leading
American scientist of the mid-nineteenth century, the foremost
human anatomist of his time, the first truly productive
microscopist, the author of numerous groundbreaking scientific
papers and books, and a devoted professor at the University of
Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College. An unflagging pioneer and an
exceptional illustrator, Leidy was the first in America to use the
microscope as a tool in forensic medicine. He established the
concept of parasitism in America. He was also the father of
American protozoology and parasitology, describing for the first
time Trichina in the pig, the source of the human disease
trichinosis. As the founder of American vertebrate paleontology, he
was the first to describe a dinosaur and many other extinct animals
in America. Leonard Warren provides a full account of Leidy's life
and accomplishments and sets them in the social and historical
context of Philadelphia and the United States in Leidy's day.
Warren also explores the reasons for the puzzling disparity between
Leidy's fame and recognition during his life and virtual anonymity
a century after his death.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
