Page 42 - BBC History The Story of Science & Technology - 2017 UK

Ideas & Inventions / Royal Society

Experimental pioneer William Harvey, physician to Charles I and James I, uses a stag to demonstrate the circulation of the blood

hoped that through measurement and thus demonstrating the necessity of air for and improve their techniques. Oxford’s guru
observation they would learn how to control transmitting sound, supporting of the new experimental approach was
nature – and that through their commer- combustion and maintaining life. William Harvey, the king’s physician who
cially viable inventions, they would had challenged centuries of anatomy by
strengthen the state’s rule. An exchange of ideas demonstrating that blood circulates around
Instruments festoon the elegant arches of Like the Society itself, the air pump the body. Inspired by Harvey’s work, one
this imaginary scientific temple in Sprat’s originated in Oxford. From the 1640s, small researcher tried injecting beer into dogs’
frontispiece. Mostly they are recent adapta- groups of scholars met informally, often veins. This forerunner of transfusion was
tions of traditional devices that measure and in their college studies, to exchange ideas none other than Christopher Wren. The
record the world, but featured prominently future architect belonged to an extraordi-
to Charles’s right is one of the Society’s most nary community of men, many of them
treasured innovations – the globe of an air One researcher young and unknown, who played a crucial
(vacuum) pump (shown in greater detail on role in the development of British science.
the next page). Symbolically, as well as tried injecting beer Several members of this Oxford group,
practically, the air pump was hugely into dogs’ veins. including Wren, were involved in the
important. Followers of Aristotle believed foundation of London’s Royal Society.
that a vacuum is impossible, whereas This forerunner Looking back, the two most significant were
Baconians declared that this artificially the chemist Robert Boyle and the inventor
created state would reveal the hidden truths of transfusion was Robert Hooke, who worked together on the
of normality. As the glass sphere was air pump and later devoted their lives to
evacuated, ringing bells inside could no none other than scientific research. However, the collective WELLCOME LIBRARY
longer be heard, flames were enthusiasm at Oxford was more important
extinguished and small animals died, Christopher Wren than any one individual’s contribution, and

42 The Story of Science & Technology