Alberti, Salomon

1. Dates

Born: Naumburg, Germany, 30 Oct. 1540

Died: Dresden, 29 Mar. 1600

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 60

2. Father

Occupation: Engineer

His father Johannes, was an engineer and master-builder, who died in 1542. His mother, the daughter of the mayor of Naumburg, was left quite poor, so the city council of Nuremberg (where they were living by then) took care of the boy, paying his expenses and enabling him to study at Wittenberg.

3. Nationality

Birth: Naumburg, Germany

Career: Germany

Death: Dresden, Germany

4. Education

Schooling: Wittenberg, M.D.

He had his elementary education at Naumburg, then studied medicine at Wittenberg, getting M.D. in 1574. I assume a B.A. or its equivalent.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Lutheran (assumed)

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Anatomy, Medicine

Most noteworthy achievement was the study of the venous valves. He was the first to provide illustrations of venous valves in Tres orationes (Nuremberg, 1585).

Having studied the lacrimal apparatus, he published De lacrimis in 1581.

He also provided an extended account of the ileocecal valve, the cochlea, and, as an original contribution, the renal papillae.

In Oratio de surditate et mutitate (Nuremberg, 1591), he discussed the problem of deafness and muteness. His treatise De achorbuto, published in the same year, was led by his interest in the problem of scurvy.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Academia, Medicine

Secondary: Patronage

He taught in the medical faculty at Wittenberg for many years, and became physician to Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Saxony in 1592. There he was dean of the philosophical faculty, thrice dean of the medical faculty, and also thrice rector of the University.

He was physician to Duke Friedrich Wilhelm from 1592-1600.

8. Patronage

Type: Court

Duke of Saxony.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Medical Practice

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Sources

1. Lynn Thorndike, A History of Magic and Experimental Science, 6, pp.229-230 Claudius F. Mayer, "Bio-bibliography of XVI Century Medical Authors. Fasciculus I, Abarbanel-Alberti, S.," Index Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Library, ser. 4, 3rd supp., (Washington, D.C., 1941). Z6676 .U5
2. Aug. Hirsch, Allgemeine deutsche Biographie, 1, 214 Magnus Schmid, Neue deutsche Biographie (Berlin, 1952- ) 1, 141-2 Christian Gottlob Joecher, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexicon (Leipzig, 1750-1751; repr., Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1960), 1, 209-10.
3. Johann Christoph Adelung, Forsetzungen und Ergaenzungen zu Christian Gottlieb Joechers allgemeinem Gelehrten-Lexicon (Leipzig, 1784-1897; repr. Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1960), 1, 460-1.
4. W. Friedensburg, Geschicht de Universität Wittenberg, (1917), passim.

Not Available and Not Consulted

1. Georg Andewas Will, Nurnbergisches Gelehrten-lexicon, 1, (Nuremberg, 1755).

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University