Galen gave lectures to explain his ideas . . . In one demonstration, Galen wanted to prove that speech came from the brain, not the heart, even though sound seems to come from the chest. (The ancient doctors thought that thinking, too, came from the heart.) He tied off the vocal chords of a live pig and immediately the loud squeals stopped. When he released the ties the pig began to squeal again, so Galen had proved an important point.
Meet the medical researcher (born in 129 A. D.) whose work and writings would be revered as a standard of authority by both Christian and Muslim worlds for the next 1300 years. One day some of Galen's theories of human physiology would be corrected. But the foundation of all his work, a respect for the unity of the human person in body and spirit, would be handed on—as he himself had received it in the Hippocratic tradition.
In this fascinating biography for young people, Jeanne Bendick brings Galen's Roman world alive with the clarity, humor, and outstanding content we enjoyed in Archimedes and the Door of Science. An excellent addition to schools, libraries, and homes; ideal for home education.
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