The Late 17th Century Evaluation of Nicolaus Steno:

An Analysis of References to Steno in Three Contemporary Journals in French, English, and Latin

Abstract

This study analyzes the frequency and content of references to the Danish anatomist Nicolaus Steno (1638–1686) in three journals, all founded in the late 17th century — Journal des Sçavans (French), Philosophical Transactions (English), and Miscellanea curiosa (Latin), in order to clarify how he was perceived during that period. The period under consideration extends from 1665 to 1686, the year of Steno’s death and the number of citations reveals that Steno’s reports concerning the secretory glands and lymph, as well as the heart and muscles, rapidly gained attention in widespread academic journals after their initial publication. However, reports on pathological cases attributed to Steno, such as hydrocephalus and cardiac malformations, were not often discussed in these three journals until the year of his death. By examining the frequency and content of references to Steno within these diverse reports, this study reevaluates Steno’s standing with the academic intellectual community (“Republic of Letters”) of his time.