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[Do women cry more than men, and why?]
Histoire Des Sciences Medicales
|September 19, 2014
Summary
Tears originate from the brain, according to 17th-century physician Ijsbrand van Diemerbroeck. He proposed a mechanical origin for tears, believing their primary function was to cleanse the brain.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- History of Medicine
Context:
- 17th-century medical understanding of human anatomy and physiology.
- Exploration of historical theories on tear production and function.
Purpose:
- To examine Ijsbrand van Diemerbroeck's 17th-century treatise on tears.
- To analyze his proposed mechanical origin and brain purgation function of tears.
Summary:
- Physician Ijsbrand van Diemerbroeck theorized tears originate from the brain via a mechanical process.
- He maintained that the primary role of tears was the purgation, or cleansing, of the brain.
- This physiological explanation contrasted with contemporary moralizing and aesthetic interpretations of crying.
Impact:
- Provides insight into historical perspectives on a basic human physiological function.
- Highlights the evolution of scientific thought regarding exocrine secretions.
- Contrasts early scientific theories with cultural and artistic interpretations of emotion.
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