Joseph-Guichard Duverney

August 5, 1648 (age 82)

Feurs, France

Duverney went to Paris, where he soon began to attend the weekly scientific meetings at the house of the Abbé Bourdelot. At these meetings Duverney often spoke on anatomical subjects. Here, too, he probably met Claude Perrault, who asked him to assist in dissections. Individually and together they dissected a wide variety of animals, many of which came from the royal menagerie at Versailles. The Paris group concentrated on describing unusual species and distinctive anatomical features, barely more than cataloging the commonplace. They used the human body as a standard of reference, not because of its assumed perfection, but for their readers’ familiarity with it. When appropriate, domestic animals were used for purposes of comparison, although these were not described in any detail. Duverney contributed to them, probably heavily, presumably beginning with the Description anatomique of 1669, which contained descriptions of a chameleon, beaver, dromedary, bear, and gazelle. Duverney’s connection with the Académie des Sciences began in 1674 when he was enlisted to assist in the completion of the two sumptuous elephant-folio volumes of the Mémoires that were published anonymously at the king’s expense. The work had been begun by Perrault, Louis Gayant, and Jean Pequet but had been interrupted by the deaths of the latter two. The same year, the Academy sent Duverney to Bayonne and lower Brittany to dissect fishes; Phillipe de la Hire accompanied him as his illustrator. In 1679 Duverney was appointed to the chair of anatomy at the Jardin du Roi. Jacques-Bénigne Winslow, F. P. du Petit, and J.-B. Senac - who edited two of Duverney’s posthumous works - were among his students. In 1688 Perrault died, and Duverney became responsible for all the comparative-anatomical work sponsored by the Academy. He also inherited Perrault’s manuscripts relating to such work, including descriptions of sixteen animals that needed only editing for publication, but these did not appear until after Duverney’s death. He had a certain reluctance to publish - for example, he bought the manuscript of Jan Swammerdam’s Biblia natura with the intention of publishing it, but the book did not appear until Hermann Boerhaave bought it from him. Nor did he ever produce the new edition of the Mémoires, despite the urgings of the Academy. The only major work written by Duverney alone and published during his lifetime was, in fact, his Traité de Torgane de Touie (1683), the first thorough, scientific treatise on the human ear. In it he describes the structure, functions, and diseases of the ear and includes a further description of the fetal ear, noting its differences from the adult structure. In addition, Duverney read numerous papers to the Academy, of which the most important are a group dealing with the circulatory and respiratory systems in cold-blooded vertebrates. In 1699 he presented a paper on these subjects, especially in the tortoise but also in the carp, frog, and viper. He presented a highly accurate description of the heart of the tortoise, demonstrating the single ventricle and its three cavities, the flow pattern of the blood, and the mixing of the arterial and venous bloods. He noted that the pulmonary artery carries venous blood, and he recognized the respiratory function of the gills. He here displays a knowledge of the piscine circulatory system that surpasses that of any other seventeenth-century work. In a paper of 1701 Duverney limited himself to fishes with gills, but did not go significantly beyond his earlier work. He did describe the role of the gills in greater detail, however, in particular, the diffusion of blood in the gills to provide a greater respiratory surface. He recognized that the change of color in the gills marked the conversion of venous to arterial blood. Knowledge of the cold-blooded vertebrates’ circulatory state had been chaotic and disorganized prior to Duverney’s work; he systematized it and advanced it considerably.

Joseph-Guichard Duverney Edit Profile

anatomist educator physician scientist

Background

Joseph-Guichard Duverney was born on August 5, 1648, in Feurs, France. He was the son of the village doctor.

Education

Duverney went to Avignon when he was fourteen years old to study medicine, receiving his medical degree there in 1667.

Career

Duverney went to Paris, where he soon began to attend the weekly scientific meetings at the house of the Abbé Bourdelot. At these meetings Duverney often spoke on anatomical subjects. Here, too, he probably met Claude Perrault, who asked him to assist in dissections. Individually and together they dissected a wide variety of animals, many of which came from the royal menagerie at Versailles.

The Paris group concentrated on describing unusual species and distinctive anatomical features, barely more than cataloging the commonplace. They used the human body as a standard of reference, not because of its assumed perfection, but for their readers’ familiarity with it. When appropriate, domestic animals were used for purposes of comparison, although these were not described in any detail. Duverney contributed to them, probably heavily, presumably beginning with the Description anatomique of 1669, which contained descriptions of a chameleon, beaver, dromedary, bear, and gazelle.

Duverney’s connection with the Académie des Sciences began in 1674 when he was enlisted to assist in the completion of the two sumptuous elephant-folio volumes of the Mémoires that were published anonymously at the king’s expense. The work had been begun by Perrault, Louis Gayant, and Jean Pequet but had been interrupted by the deaths of the latter two. The same year, the Academy sent Duverney to Bayonne and lower Brittany to dissect fishes; Phillipe de la Hire accompanied him as his illustrator.

In 1679 Duverney was appointed to the chair of anatomy at the Jardin du Roi. Jacques-Bénigne Winslow, F. P. du Petit, and J.-B. Senac - who edited two of Duverney’s posthumous works - were among his students.

In 1688 Perrault died, and Duverney became responsible for all the comparative-anatomical work sponsored by the Academy. He also inherited Perrault’s manuscripts relating to such work, including descriptions of sixteen animals that needed only editing for publication, but these did not appear until after Duverney’s death. He had a certain reluctance to publish - for example, he bought the manuscript of Jan Swammerdam’s Biblia natura with the intention of publishing it, but the book did not appear until Hermann Boerhaave bought it from him. Nor did he ever produce the new edition of the Mémoires, despite the urgings of the Academy.

The only major work written by Duverney alone and published during his lifetime was, in fact, his Traité de Torgane de Touie (1683), the first thorough, scientific treatise on the human ear. In it he describes the structure, functions, and diseases of the ear and includes a further description of the fetal ear, noting its differences from the adult structure.

In addition, Duverney read numerous papers to the Academy, of which the most important are a group dealing with the circulatory and respiratory systems in cold-blooded vertebrates. In 1699 he presented a paper on these subjects, especially in the tortoise but also in the carp, frog, and viper. He presented a highly accurate description of the heart of the tortoise, demonstrating the single ventricle and its three cavities, the flow pattern of the blood, and the mixing of the arterial and venous bloods. He noted that the pulmonary artery carries venous blood, and he recognized the respiratory function of the gills. He here displays a knowledge of the piscine circulatory system that surpasses that of any other seventeenth-century work.

In a paper of 1701 Duverney limited himself to fishes with gills, but did not go significantly beyond his earlier work. He did describe the role of the gills in greater detail, however, in particular, the diffusion of blood in the gills to provide a greater respiratory surface. He recognized that the change of color in the gills marked the conversion of venous to arterial blood. Knowledge of the cold-blooded vertebrates’ circulatory state had been chaotic and disorganized prior to Duverney’s work; he systematized it and advanced it considerably.

Achievements

$Achievement Joseph-Guichard Duverney is probably known for his one of the earliest comprehensive works on otology, Traité de l'organe de l'ouie, contenant la structure, les usages et les maladies de toutes les parties de l'oreille, in which he discusses the anatomy, physiology and diseases associated with the ear. Duverney identified a temporal bone tumor, which is believed to be the earliest description of cholesteatoma. He realized the importance of the Eustachian tube and its role in adjusting air pressure in the tympanic cavity. His clinical work led to the posthumous publication of Maladies des os, a book containing a description of the eponymous "Duverney fracture" and the first full description of osteoporosis. Three anatomical structures are sometimes given Duvemey’s name - an incisura in the cartilage of the external auditory meatus, the pars lacrimalis musculus orbicularis oculi, and Bartholin’s glands. of Joseph-Guichard Duverney$
Joseph-Guichard Duverney is probably known for his one of the earliest comprehensive works on otology, Traité de l'organe de l'ouie, contenant la structure, les usages et les maladies de toutes les parties de l'oreille, in which he discusses the anatomy, physiology and diseases associated with the ear.

Duverney identified a temporal bone tumor, which is believed to be the earliest description of cholesteatoma. He realized the importance of the Eustachian tube and its role in adjusting air pressure in the tympanic cavity.

His clinical work led to the posthumous publication of Maladies des os, a book containing a description of the eponymous "Duverney fracture" and the first full description of osteoporosis.

Three anatomical structures are sometimes given Duvemey’s name - an incisura in the cartilage of the external auditory meatus, the pars lacrimalis musculus orbicularis oculi, and Bartholin’s glands.

Works

$Anatomie de la T\u00EAte, Tableaux Imprim\u00E9s Qui Repr\u00E9sentent Au Naturel Cerveau Sous Diff\u00E9rentes Coupes Anatomie de la T\u00EAte, Tableaux Imprim\u00E9s Qui Repr\u00E9sentent Au Naturel Cerveau Sous Diff\u00E9rentes Coupes$ $Abrege D\'Anatomie, Accommode Aux Arts de Peinture Et de Sculpture Abrege D\'Anatomie, Accommode Aux Arts de Peinture Et de Sculpture$

book
- Anatomie de la Tête, Tableaux Imprimés Qui Représentent Au Naturel Cerveau Sous Différentes Coupes 1748
- Abrege D'Anatomie, Accommode Aux Arts de Peinture Et de Sculpture 1765

Views

Duverney based his study of the ear on a study of its sensory innervation; to this end he had a new plate engraved to illustrate the base of the brain and the origin of these nerves since he had found no adequate figure of this region. His interpretation of aural function was mechanical; for example, in the Traité he states that sound is transmitted within the ear as vibrations carried by the enclosed air and by the malleus, incus, and stapes. These vibrations reach the end of the nerves and set up a flow of spirits to the brain; the muscles (except for the muscles of the neck that turn the head) are motivated by another flow of spirits from the brain. Duverney believed that there is a direct communication by the nerves from the outer ear to the neck muscles so that a flow of spirits along this route is responsible for the turning of the head when a noise is heard.

Membership

In 1676 Duverney became a member of the Académie des sciences.

Académie des sciences , France

1676

Personality

Duverney was a highly successful lecturer, and his auditors included the curious and the fashionable as well as serious students of anatomy.

Connections

colleague:: Phillipe de la Hire
Student:: Jacques-Bénigne Winslow
Student:: F. P. du Petit
Student:: Jean-Baptiste de Sénac
colleague:: Claude Perrault

References

Biographie Universelle, Ancienne Et Moderne, Volume 12
1855

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