572 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



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 passion- 

 ately 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 mean- 

 time, 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 Home. 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 injec- 

 tion that was afterwards claimed by Kuysch. 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 de- 

 scribed them in the blood of the frog, but his observations were not 

 published till fifty-seven years after his death by Boerhaave, and, there- 

 fore, he does not get the credit of this discovery. Publication alone 

 establishes priority, not first observation, but there is conclusive evi- 

 dence 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 dif- 

 ferences 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. Mis father died, leaving him sufficient property to live 



