Friday’s Library Snapshot …

Images from:-

Athanasii Kircheri Fuldensis e Soc. Iesu presbyteri Musurgia vniuersalis, siue, Ars magna consoni et dissoni in X libros digesta ; quà vniuersa sonorum doctrina, & philosophia, musicaeque tam theoricae, quam practicae scientia, summa varietate traditur ; admirandae consoni, & dissoni in mundo, adeòque vniuersà naturà vires effectusque, vti noua, ita peregrina variorum speciminum exhibitione ad singulares vsus, tum in omni poenè facultate, tum potissimùm in philologià, mathematicà, physicà, mechanicà, medicinà, politicà, metaphysicà, theologià, aperiuntur & demonstrantur.

published by Romae Ex typographia Haeredum Francisci Corbelletti, 1650 and writtenby Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680)

Kircher was a German Jesuit scholar who wrote extensively on various subjects such as Orientalism, geology and medicine.  He was often compared to Leonardo da Vinci as he knowledge and experience  was so diverse.    

He was regarded by some as the founder of Egyptology and famously made links between ancient Egyptian and modern Coptic languages.  Kircher was interested in the Chinese culture and wrote and encyclopedia of China.

While he did study volcanos and fossils it was his interest in microbes and his work with a microscope that brought him recognition.  Especially when he suggested that the plague was caused by infectious microorganisms and considered ways in which the spread of the could be prevented.  

His fascination in technology and things mechanical didn’t stop there; he invented a magnetic clock, various automatons and a megaphone. Although Kircher did conduct a study of the magic lantern in the above book he did not invent as it sometimes suggested.  

While he was considered a ‘giant’ in his day by the end of his life he became ‘outdated’ by the likes of Descartes.