Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738) was a Dutch philosopher, botanist, and physician, considered to be the founder of clinical teaching and of the concept of the modern teaching hospital. Boerhaave revived the Hippocratic tradition of teaching students at the patients' bedsides. He also insisted on performing autopsies in order to understand the connection between symptoms and lesions. In 1709 he became professor of botany and medicine at the University of Leiden, which he made into Europe's leading center for medical education. "Students came to Leiden from many different countries, returning with textbooks by their professor to teach his methods at home, so that Boerhaave's academic system, both in style and in organization, survived through his pupils long after death. The most remarkable example of his influence was in the medical school at Edinburgh...At one moment, in 1726, the whole medical faculty at Edinburgh consisted of Boerhaave's pupils following his teaching. Through his pupils he is the real founder of the Edinburgh Medical School, and through it of the best medical teaching in the English- speaking countries of the world.'" Grolier, One Hundred Famous Books in Medicine 39 (ref.) Gerard van Swieten (1700-1772) enrolled as a medical student at the University of Leiden, attracted by the lectures of Boerhaave. After receiving the MD degree in 1725, he established a medical practice in Leiden, which, although it soon became quite sizable, did not prevent him from continuing to attend every lecture of Boerhaave until the latter's death in 1738.
Van Swieten adapted a shorthand system tomedical language, so these lecture notes reflect Boerhaave's presentation closely. Their mutual respect led Boerhaave to show his most interesting private cases to van Swieten and to express a lively interest in those ofivan Swieten. At various times Boerhaave stated that van Swieten would be the most suitable person to succeed him as a professor. Van Swieten's Commentaria is both Boerhaave's lectures and van Swieten's commentaries upon them. Swieten's Diseases Incident to Armies was an important medical work used in the American Revolution and would have been used extensively by Dr. Rush.