The Chin Shu or Official History of the Chin Dynasty,130 volumes in total, was finished by Fang Hsüan-ling et al.in A.D.635.Astronomical records are included in its astronomical chapters. The data cover the periods from A.D.221 to A.D.420, including the times of the Three Kingdoms, the Former and Later Chin Dynasties. Among the whole records, the solar eclipses, the moon's occultations of the planets and the trespassings of the planets with one another are examined numerically by the method of astronomical chronology. The following conclusions are obtained. (1) Among 82 solar eclipses; 49 are proved to have been visible as eclipsed either at Loyang (capital of both the Wei and the Former Chin Dynasties) or at Nanking (capital of the Later Chin Dynasty). Visibility of the recorded eclipses is 49/82 = 60 percents. (2) Among 52 records of the moon's trespassings against at the planets,19 occultations and 25 trespassings are identified. So identification rate of the records is 44/54 = 81 percents. (3) Among 46 records of close encounters of the planets with one another, 36 are proved to be reasonable. So identification rate of the data is 36/46 = 72 percents. (4) The remaining percentages of the above records are classified as questionable because of their impossibility of identification. However, some of them turn reasonable if we try a tiny revision, for instance, change the date or the planet's name in the records. This proves to be a result of copying errors. In the case of solar eclipses, ancient technique of eclipse prediction may be another cause of poor coincidence.

View full abstract

In 1838, the previous year of the publication of his famous book Mikroskopische Untersuchungen, T.Schwann published three preliminary articles in Froriep's Notizen. They are, 1) "Ueber die Analogie in der Structur und dem Wachsthume der Thiere und Pflanzen" 2) "Fortsetzung der Untersuchungen über die Uebereinstimmung in der Structur der Thiere und Pflanzenn" 3) "Nachtrag zu den Untersuchungen über die Uebereinstimmung in der Structur der Thiere und Pflanzen". Moreover, they preceded the publication of Schleiden's "Beitrage zur Phytogenesis." These three articles, however, have not been given but scant attention in histories of biology or cytology. According to the "Cell Theory" of today, a cell is considered as the fundamental unit of all living organism, and the properties of a living organism are seen as the sum of the properties of its component cells. But it should be noted that Schwann, who first used the term "Cell Theory," used it to indicate a so-called Schleiden & Schwann's "Cell Formation Theory," which was to be denied later. The object of this article is to introduce the contents of Schwann's three articles critically, to point out that these articles include not only the "Cell Formation Theory," but also the very essence of the "Cell Theory" of today, therefore, to conclude the description, often seen in many histories of biology, that the "Cell Theory" was advocated by Schleiden (1838) and Schwann (1839) is not correct, and it should with greater propriety be described that the "Cell Theory" of today was advocated.by both Schwann and Schleiden in 1838.

View full abstract

Toshisada ENDO, states that the first discovery of cycloid during the Bunsei period (1818〜1828) is attributed to Nei Wada (1787～1840). On the other hand, Yoshio MIKAMI pointed out that the same subject had already been studied by Tadao SHIZUKI (1760〜1806) in his Rekishō Shinsho (vol.1,1798; Vol.2, 1800; Vol.3, 1802). But these works seems to be insufficient, so we have discussed the same subject from astronomical points of view.

View full abstract