An Interactive Annotated World Bibliography of Printed and Digital Works in the History of Medicine and the Life Sciences from Circa 2000 BCE to 2024 by Fielding H. Garrison (1870-1935), Leslie T. Morton (1907-2004), and Jeremy M. Norman (1945- ) Traditionally Known as “Garrison-Morton”

16061 entries, 14144 authors and 1947 subjects. Updated: December 4, 2024

DARWIN, Erasmus

7 entries
  • 8589

Experiments establishing a criterion between mucaginous and purulent matter. An an account of the retrograde motions of the absorbent vessels of animal bodies in some diseases.

Litchfield, England: Printed for J. Jackson...., 1780.

Includes the first description of the value of digitalis in the treatment of patients with heart failure, with discussion of several successful cases. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.  Darwin and Withering were associated through the Lunar Society of Birmingham.



Subjects: CARDIOLOGY › CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE › Heart Failure, PHARMACOLOGY › PHARMACEUTICALS › Botanic Sources of Single Component Drugs › Digitalis, PHARMACOLOGY › PHARMACEUTICALS › Cardiovascular Medications
  • 8923

A system of vegetables, according to their classes, orders, genera, species with their characters and differences.... Translated from the thirteenth edition (As published by Dr. Murray) of the Systema vegetabilium of the late professor Linneus; and from the Supplementum plantarum of the present professor Linneus. By a Botanical Society, at Lichfield. 2 vols. [Edited by Erasmus Darwin.]

Lichfield, England: Printed by John Jackson & London: Leigh and Sotheby, 1783.

English translation of Linneus's Species plantarum (No. 99.1), edited by Charles Darwin's grandfather. Digital facsimile from the Biodiversity Heritage Library, Internet Archive, at this link.



Subjects: BOTANY › Classification / Systemization of Plants
  • 8921

The botanic garden: A poem in two parts. Part I. Containing the economy of vegetation. Part II. The loves of the plants. With philosophical notes. 2 vols.

17891791.

The first edition of part 2, preceded part 1, being published in 1789. This poem was the chief source of Erasmus Darwin's literary fame during his lifetime. Like his other works, this poem contains a great deal of frequently advanced scientific information in the nearly 300 footnotes and 115 pages of appendices. This work also contains five plates engraved by William Blake, including "The fertilisation of Egypt" after a design by Henry Fuseli, and 4 engravings of the Portland Vase.



Subjects: BOTANY, EVOLUTION, LITERATURE / Philosophy & Medicine & Biology
  • 105

Zoonomia; or the laws of organic life. 2 vols.

London: J. Johnson, 17941796.

Grandfather of Charles Darwin and Francis Galton, Erasmus Darwin provided in Zoonomia, his major work in medicine and natural science, the first consistent all-embracing hypothesis of evolution. Nevertheless, his grandson, Charles, said Erasmus’s theory had no effect on his On the Origin of Species.



Subjects: EVOLUTION, ZOOLOGY
  • 8922

The temple of nature; or the origin of society. A poem, with philosophical notes.

London: Printed by T. Bensley for J. Johnson, 1803.

Erasmus Darwin's last poem, which mainly expounds his theories of evolution. He traces the progress of life form its origin as microscopic specks in premeval seas to its culmination in a civilized human society. The first canto shows life's origin and its evolution from aquatic to land forms. The second deals with reproduction--asexual, hermaphroditic and finally sexual reproduction with all its advantages. The third canto traces the progress of the mind, from its origin as a mere meeting-place of nerves to its present complexity in man. In the fourth canto Darwin descrbies the struggle for existence and the survival of the fittest. The essay-length scientific notes (last 124pp.) contain summaries of theories of spontaneous generation, etc. Erasmus Darwin's theory of evolution has been compared to Lamarckism.



Subjects: BIOLOGY, EVOLUTION, LITERATURE / Philosophy & Medicine & Biology
  • 12687

Memoirs of the life of Dr. Darwin, chiefly during his residence in Lichfield: With anecdotes of his friends, and criticisms on his writing.

London: Printed for J. Johnson, 1804.

Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.



Subjects: BIOGRAPHY (Reference Works) › Biographies of Individuals, EVOLUTION, LITERATURE / Philosophy & Medicine & Biology › Poetry
  • 8919

Erasmus Darwin. By Ernst Krause. Translated from the German by W. S. Dallas. With a preliminary notice by Charles Darwin.

London: John Murray, 1879.

Krause's short biography originally appeared in the German evolutionary periodical Kosmos in February 1879. In this translation Darwin added a biographical contribution that is longer than Krause's, i.e. 127pp by Darwin versus 89pp. by Krause. Darwin paid frequent tribute to his grandfather Erasmus, but denied that Erasmus's ideas had influenced him significantly in the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection. Digital facsimile of the copy Darwin presented to his daughter Henrietta Litchfield from the Internet Archive at this link.



Subjects: BIOGRAPHY (Reference Works) › Biographies of Individuals, EVOLUTION