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152 B(EOTIA-BOERHAAVE.
fields, the former glory of which has been he was afterwards to exert so importan
increased by late events, namely, Plataea an influence. He first studied anatomy,
(now the village Kokla), where Pausanias but rather in the works then in vogue, of
and Aristides established the liberty of Vesale, Bartholin, &c., than in the disGreece by their victory over the 300,000 secting room. He was present, indeed,
Persians under Mardonius; Leuctra (now at most of the dissections of Nuck, but
the village Parapogia), where Epaminon- still the want of a practical study of
das checked the ambitious Spartans; Co- anatomy is evident in all his writings,
ronea, where the Spartan Agesilaus de- The influence which he had in improving
feated the Thebans; and Chaeronea (now anatomy, notwithstanding the defect we
Caprranu), where Philip founded the have noticed, must be traced to the close
Macedonian greatness on the ruins of connexion of this mechanical science
Grecian liberty. Near Tanagra, the birth- with physiology and medicine. As, in
place of Corinna (q. v.), the best wine these last, he made use of mechanical
was produced; here, also, cocks were illustrations, his example induced the
bred, of remarkable size, beauty and anatomists to apply themselves to an accourage, with which the Grecian cities, curate study of the forms of the organs,
passionately fond of cock-fighting, were as may be noticed in all the anatomists
suppliec. Refinement and cultivation of of that time —Santorini, Morgagni, Valmind never made such progress in B. as salva, Winslow, Albinus, &c. After this
in Attica. The Baeotians were vigorous, preliminary study, which, in fact, is the
but slow and heavy. Several Thebans, groundwork of medical science, B. read
however, were worthy disciples of Soc- all the works, ancient and modern, on
rates, and Epaminondas distinguished medicine, in the order of time, proceedhimself as much in philosophy as by his ing fi'om his contemporaries to H-ippocramilitary talents. The people were par- tes, with whose superior excellence and
ticularly fond of music, and excelled in correct method he was forcibly struck in
it. They had also some great poets and this course of reading. He also studied
artists. HIesiod, Pindar, the poetess Co- botany and chemistry, and, although still
rinna, and Plutarch, were Bceotians. preparing himself for the clerical profesBOERHAAvE, Hermann, one of the most sion, was made, in 1693, doctor of mellicelebrated physicians of the l8th century, cine at Harderwick. His dissertation
was born, Dec. 13, 1668, at Woorhout, was De Utilitate explorandorum Euxcremennear Leyden, and received from his fa- torum in. gris, ut Signorum. After his
ther a liberal education. Before he was return to Leyden, some doubts being
11 years old, he was well acquainted raised as to his orthodoxy, he finally dewith Latin and Greek. An obstinate ul- termined to follow the profession of moedcer on his left thigh, which, for 7 years, icine. In 1701, the university of Leyden
resisted all medical remedies, was the chose him, on the death of Drelincourt,
means of directing his thoughts and in- to deliver lectures on the theory of mediclinations to the study of medicine. In cine; on which occasion, he pronounced
1682, he was sent to Leyden to study his dissertation De commendando Studio
theology. Here he gave, at the age of Hippocratico. In this, with an enthusi20, the first public proof of his learning asml excited by the study of Hippocrates,
and eloquence. He pronounced an aca- he demonstrates the correctness of the
demic oration before Gronovius, with method pursued by that great man, and
whom he studied Greek, Qud probatur, establishes its exclusive superiority: it
bene intellectam a Cicerone, et cofutatant had been well if he himself had never
esse Sententiarm Epicuri de summno Bono deviated from it. B. now began to devel(Leyden, 1690, 4to.) In this, B. attacked ope those great and peculiar, excellences.
the doctrine of Spinoza with so much which make him a pattern to all who.
talent, that the city rewarded him with a undertake the office of instruction. Pugold medal. In 1689, he received the pils crowded from all quarters to heac
degree of doctor of philosophy, and main- him. In 1703, he delivered another distained an inaugural dissertation, De Dis- sertation, De Usu Ratiocinii mechanici in
tinctione 3Jentis a Corpore (Leyden, 1690)..1fiedicina, Leyden, 1703. In this, he beHe now commenced, at the age of 22, gan to deviate from the Hippocratic
Ithe study of medicine. Drelincourt was method, and to introduce the first prinhis first and only teacher. From him he ciples of a defective system, to which his
received only a little instruction; and it is eminent talents gave afterwards exclusive
worthy of notice, that B. learned by his currency. In 1709, the university of
own solitary study a science on which Leyden was at length enabled to reward