Johannes Schenck von Grafenberg
Encyclopedia
Johannes Schenck von Grafenberg (Latin: Ioannes Schenckius) (June 20, 1530 – November 12, 1598) was a German physician. He studied at Tübingen
, and was later a physician to the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. He was the father of physician Johann-Georg Schenck von Grafenberg (died 1620).
Johannes Schenck was one of the more influential authorities on medicine during the late Renaissance
Era. His studies of language disturbances caused by brain
injuries are considered advanced by 16th century standards, and because of this research he is considered to be a pioneer of neurolinguistics
. In this field he published the 1584 treatise Observationes medicae de capite humano, in which he describes his personal observations of language disorders, along with the observations of other physicians.
Schenck's best-known written work was Observationum medicarum rariorum, libri VII, which was a seven-volume compendium that described pathological
conditions concerning all the parts of the human body. Information in these books was derived from medical experiences described by Schenck and his contemporaries, and well as medical observations taken from sources dating back to antiquity.
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, and was later a physician to the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. He was the father of physician Johann-Georg Schenck von Grafenberg (died 1620).
Johannes Schenck was one of the more influential authorities on medicine during the late Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
Era. His studies of language disturbances caused by brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
injuries are considered advanced by 16th century standards, and because of this research he is considered to be a pioneer of neurolinguistics
Neurolinguistics
Neurolinguistics is the study of the neural mechanisms in the human brain that control the comprehension, production, and acquisition of language. As an interdisciplinary field, neurolinguistics draws methodology and theory from fields such as neuroscience, linguistics, cognitive science,...
. In this field he published the 1584 treatise Observationes medicae de capite humano, in which he describes his personal observations of language disorders, along with the observations of other physicians.
Schenck's best-known written work was Observationum medicarum rariorum, libri VII, which was a seven-volume compendium that described pathological
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
conditions concerning all the parts of the human body. Information in these books was derived from medical experiences described by Schenck and his contemporaries, and well as medical observations taken from sources dating back to antiquity.