LIFE AND WORKS OF NICOLAUS STENO V 



his own, by which he was able to perform vivisections without bleed* 

 ing. Steno spent much time — too much time in our opinion — to 

 prove the incorrectness of the assertions of Bils' and of the theories 

 set forth by him concerning the flow and function of the chyle 

 and the lymph. — As a follower and defender of Bils may be men* 

 tioned Deusing, a learned professor of Groningen, known for his 

 passion for writing as well as for his quarrelsomeness, who though 

 he himself is said never to have made a single anatomical observation 

 — in fact he was more of a philologist — yet published a treatise in 

 defence of Bils, directed against Steno. — And lastly Bils found an* 

 other advocate, and Steno another adversary, in Anthony Everaerts 

 (Everardi), a pupil of Deusing and a physician in Middelburg. 



One phase of Dutch mental life, the phase, perhaps, which made 

 the strongest impression upon Steno and which became, indeed, of 

 the greatest importance to him later on, was the interest everybody 

 took in religious matters. Contrary to nearly all other countries Hoi* 

 land at that time enjoyed full religious liberty, and its inhabitants 

 belonged to very different creeds and denominations. Steno, who was 

 himself a Lutherian, had received his education in a country, where 

 all the inhabitants were of the same faith, and where dissenting opi* 

 nions were scarcely tolerated. It is unquestionable that these circum* 

 stances, which made Holland so different from his native country, 

 together with his constant coming into contact with people of various 

 creeds left their mark upon Steno's earnest, religious mind and called 

 forth many new reflections upon religious matters. 



Family*affairs compelled Steno to return to Copenhagen in the Copenha= 

 spring of 1664. His step*father had recently died, and his mother, gen 1664. 

 who was dangerously ill, died shortly afterwards. Even at this early 

 period Steno enjoyed a great reputation in his native town, and one 

 of his principal works, which appeared about this time in Copen* 

 hagen and the same year in Amsterdam, was dedicated to Frederik 

 III, the King of Denmark, to whom Steno at an earlier date had been 

 warmly recommended by Thomas Bartholin. There was just then a 

 very good opportunity of connecting Steno with the University of 

 Copenhagen, and he himself surely expected to become a professor; 

 but Bartholin, who otherwise took a very warm interest in the success 

 and progress of his branch of science, was at the same time of the 

 opinion — in other cases as it seems quite justly — that the best way 

 of promoting it was by making members of his own family occupy 

 the public positions. So the professorship was not given to Steno, but 

 to Bartholin's nephew, the abowe*mentioned Matthias J acobxus. This 

 injustice was a severe blow to Steno; and in the autumn of the same 

 year he left Copenhagen. 



By Amsterdam and Cologne, where he had a conversation with a 



