Abstract
AbstractThis chapter reflects on the epistemic processes that made the use of quantification and measurements in medicine conceivable to Sanctorius, and which might explain how these methods made sense to him in ways that they had not before. To this end, I bring into focus the relation between the categories of innovation and tradition as well as the interplay of the realms of theory and practice in Sanctorius’s works, unifying the main results of my study. Then, based on my analysis of the measuring instruments in Chap. 7, I reflect on what quantifying health meant to Sanctorius. Finally, I briefly sketch out how his measuring instruments were received. Building upon the historical analyses of the previous chapters, I present a new and revised view of the Venetian physician Sanctorius, which hopefully will contribute not only to a better understanding of his work, but also, more generally, of how knowledge was transformed in the early modern period.
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
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