Forma Fluens (“flowing form”) is a blog dedicated to the history of the body. A metaphor for life itself, as a rhythmic flow that alters the shape and the diachronic identity of the human being, this space is dedicated to any curious person interested in the history of medicine and the body.
FORMA FLUENS
Histories of the Microcosm
The Blog of the Body
Material from the blog is free to consult and use but must be credited as per the title, author, affiliation and sources displayed in each article. For queries or to express an interest in submitting an article for the blog, feel free to contact the centre in the dedicated section. Enjoy and stay tuned: more is always coming!
Drinking Water Cures and the Body in 17th-Century Tuscany
Bacon believed that the key to extending life lay not in the curricula as taught in the medical faculties of
Roger Bacon on Prolongation of Life
Bacon believed that the key to extending life lay not in the curricula as taught in the medical faculties of
Albert the Great and the Configuration of the Embryo
In the 13th century, ‘embryology’ as a specific branch of biology did not exist, and the study of the configuration
Medical Notes on Agresto
This post explores Agresto, an acidic substance obtained from boiling and subsequent pressing of "unripe grapes", which was used in
Quarantine Practices and the Body
This article explores early modern quarantine regulations highlighting contemporary attitudes toward the body, disease and cleanliness.
The Therapeutic Virtues of Jasmine
Jasmine, widely used and praised in the East, was one of the many substances introduced to the Italian peninsula for
Kenelm Digby’s Chymical Aristotle
I focus here on an English natural philosopher, Kenelm Digby, and his atomic interpretation of Aristotle. My aim is to
The Work of Sanctorius Sanctorius
Teresa Hollerbach reconsiders the traditional characterization of Sanctorius as the inventor of a new science, examining his activities in relation