STENO, Nicolas [Niels Steensen, Nicholaus Stenonis] (1638 – 1686)

1662 CE

#1543

Observationes anatomicae, quibus varia oris, oculorum & narium vas describuntur novique salivae, lacrymarum & muci fontes deteguntur.

Includes the first account of the excretory duct of the parotid gland (“Stensen’s duct”), discovered by Stensen. He first reported his discovery in a letter to his teacher, Thomas Bartholin, dated Ap…

1664 CE

#576

De musculis et glandulis observationum specimen.

Stensen described the structure of muscles, the fibra motrix, confirming that contraction actually occurs in the muscle fibres, not in the tendon as Galen had thought. He attempted a geometrical description of muscle …

1667 CE

#577

Elementorum myologiae specimen.

In this work Stensen, in collaboration with the mathematician Vincenzio Viviani (1622-1703), a pupil of Galileo, developed a geometrical description of muscular contraction, and attempted to show theoretically that mu…

1669 CE

#1378.1

Discours sur l’anatomie du cerveau.

In this remarkably prescient argument for, and critique of, anatomical research into brain function Stensen opposed Descartes (No. 574) arguing that it was idle to speculate about cerebral function when so little was …

1671 CE–1672 CE

#2726.1

Embryo monstro affinis Parisiis dissectus.

First known description of the “tetralogy of Fallot” (see No. 2792). Reprinted in his Opera philosophica, ed. W. Maar, Vol. 2, Copenhagen, V. Tryde, 1910, pp. 49-53. For translation see Proc. Mayo Clin., 1…

1910 CE

#7474

Opera philosophica. Edited by Vilhelm Maar. 2 vols.

Steno's collected works, presented in the original Latin with an introduction in English. Digital facsimile from biusante.parisdescartes.fr at this link.

1986 CE

#7475

Opere scientifiche. Traduzione integrale dai testi originali. Coordinatore Luciano Casella. Revisione e note a cura di Enrico Coturri. 2 vols.

Steno's collected works translated from Latin into Italian. Reproduces Steno's original engraved illustrations, plus others from the time (some in color).