Charles Estienne
Encyclopedia
Charles Estienne was an early exponent of the science
of anatomy
in France
. Charles was a younger brother of Robert Estienne
, the famous printer, and son to Henri
, who Latinized the family name as Stephanus. He married Geneviève de Berly.
After the usual humanistic training he studied medicine, and took his doctor's degree at Paris
. He was for a time tutor to Jean-Antoine de Baïf
, the future poet. It is uncertain whether he taught publicly. His career was interrupted by the oppressive persecution
s in which their religious opinions involved the family.
Éstienne, though from a family whose classical taste was their principal glory, did not betray the same servile imitation of the Galen
ian anatomy as his contemporary, Jacques Dubois
. He appears to have been the first to detect valves in the orifice of the hepatic vein
s. He was ignorant, however, of the researches of the Italian
anatomists; and his description of the brain
is inferior to that given sixty years before by Alessandro Achillini
. His comparison of the cerebral cavities to the human ear has persuaded F. Portal that he knew the inferior cornua, the hippocampus
and its prolongations; but this is no reason for giving him that honour to the detriment of the reputation of Achillini, to whom, so far as historical testimony goes, the first knowledge of this fact is due.
The researches of Éstienne into the structure of the nervous system
are, however, neither useless nor inglorious; and the circumstance of demonstrating a canal through the entire length of the spinal cord
, which had neither been suspected by contemporaries nor noticed by successors till Jean-Baptiste de Sénac
(1693–1770) made it known, is sufficient to place him high in the rank of anatomical discoverers.
In 1551, when Robert Estienne left Paris
for Geneva
, Charles, who had remained a Catholic
, took charge of his printing establishment, and in the same year was appointed king's printer. In 1561 he became bankrupt, and he is said to have died in a debtors' prison.
His principal works are:
He also published a translation of an Italian comedy, Gli Ingannati, under the title of Le Sacrifice (1543; republished as Les Abus, 1549), which had some influence on the development of French comedy; and Paradoxes (1553), an imitation of the Paradossi of Ortensio Landi.
His daughter Nicole Estienne
became a prolific poet.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
of anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Charles was a younger brother of Robert Estienne
Robert Estienne
Robert I Estienne , known as Robertus Stephanus in Latin and also referred to as Robert Stephens by 18th and 19th-century English writers, was a 16th century printer and classical scholar in Paris...
, the famous printer, and son to Henri
Henri Estienne (elder)
Henri Estienne, also known as Henricus Stephanus, was a 16th-century Parisian printer. He was born in Paris in 1470 and began as a bookseller in Paris from 1502 to 1520, though his father was not in favour of this enterprise. He began to print probably in 1505. In this year he issued the Abrégé de...
, who Latinized the family name as Stephanus. He married Geneviève de Berly.
After the usual humanistic training he studied medicine, and took his doctor's degree at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was for a time tutor to Jean-Antoine de Baïf
Jean-Antoine de Baïf
Jean Antoine de Baïf was a French poet and member of the Pléiade.-Life:He was born in Venice, the natural son of the scholar Lazare de Baïf, who was at that time French ambassador at Venice...
, the future poet. It is uncertain whether he taught publicly. His career was interrupted by the oppressive persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
s in which their religious opinions involved the family.
Éstienne, though from a family whose classical taste was their principal glory, did not betray the same servile imitation of the Galen
Galen
Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus , better known as Galen of Pergamon , was a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher...
ian anatomy as his contemporary, Jacques Dubois
Jacques Dubois
Jacques Dubois , also known as Jacobus Sylvius in Latin, was a French anatomist in Paris.-Early grammar of French:Dubois was the author of the first grammar of the French language to be published in France...
. He appears to have been the first to detect valves in the orifice of the hepatic vein
Hepatic vein
In human anatomy, the hepatic veins are the blood vessels that drain de-oxygenated blood from the liver and blood cleaned by the liver into the inferior vena cava....
s. He was ignorant, however, of the researches of the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
anatomists; and his description of the brain
Human brain
The human brain has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times larger than the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size. Estimates for the number of neurons in the human brain range from 80 to 120 billion...
is inferior to that given sixty years before by Alessandro Achillini
Alessandro Achillini
Alessandro Achillini was an Italian philosopher and physician.-Biography:He was born and died in Bologna, and is buried in the Church of Saint Martin there...
. His comparison of the cerebral cavities to the human ear has persuaded F. Portal that he knew the inferior cornua, the hippocampus
Hippocampus
The hippocampus is a major component of the brains of humans and other vertebrates. It belongs to the limbic system and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in...
and its prolongations; but this is no reason for giving him that honour to the detriment of the reputation of Achillini, to whom, so far as historical testimony goes, the first knowledge of this fact is due.
The researches of Éstienne into the structure of the nervous system
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
are, however, neither useless nor inglorious; and the circumstance of demonstrating a canal through the entire length of the spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
, which had neither been suspected by contemporaries nor noticed by successors till Jean-Baptiste de Sénac
Jean-Baptiste de Sénac
Jean-Baptiste de Sénac was a French physician who was born in the town of Lombez. Details of his early life are sketchy, however it is generally thought that he studied medicine at the University of Leyden, and later in London, where one of his instructors was John Freind...
(1693–1770) made it known, is sufficient to place him high in the rank of anatomical discoverers.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Charles, who had remained a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, took charge of his printing establishment, and in the same year was appointed king's printer. In 1561 he became bankrupt, and he is said to have died in a debtors' prison.
His principal works are:
- Praedium Rusticum (1554), a collection of tracts which he had compiled from ancient writers on various branches of agricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, and which continued to be a favorite book down to the end of the 17th century - Dictionarium historicum ad policum (1553), the first French encyclopediaEncyclopediaAn encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
- Thesaurus Ciceronianus (1557)
- De dissectione partium corporis humani libri tres, with well-drawn woodcuts (1545)
He also published a translation of an Italian comedy, Gli Ingannati, under the title of Le Sacrifice (1543; republished as Les Abus, 1549), which had some influence on the development of French comedy; and Paradoxes (1553), an imitation of the Paradossi of Ortensio Landi.
His daughter Nicole Estienne
Nicole Estienne
-Life and work:Her parents were Charles Estienne and Geneviève de Berly. Her father's family was influential in the printing business.The writer Jacques Grévin became engaged to her and celebrated her in his collection L'Olimpe. The engagement was broken for unknown reasons.Nicole then married Jean...
became a prolific poet.
External links
- Charles Estienne: De dissectione partium corporis humani libri tres. (Paris, 1545). Selected pages scanned from the original work. Historical Anatomies on the Web. US National Library of Medicine.