A 1602 medical publication titled Praxeos introduced a rational system for classifying diseases based on clinical symptoms and postmortem results. Written by Felix Platter, a physician based in Basel, this work challenged established medical dogma. By shifting the focus of diagnosis to observable evidence, Platter moved the field of medicine toward a more systematic and empirical foundation.
Medical Education and Early Career
Born in Basel in 1536, Platter was the son of the humanist and printer Thomas Platter. At age sixteen, he traveled to the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier to study under Guillaume Rondelet. He returned to Basel in 1557 to receive his medical doctorate from the University of Basel. He subsequently served as city physician, professor of practical medicine, and eventually rector of the university.
Clinical Observations and Plague Studies
Platter maintained a presence in Basel during the recurring plague outbreaks of 1563-1564, 1576, 1582, 1593, and 1609. While many physicians fled during the initial 1563 epidemic, he remained to treat patients, documenting the events and compiling statistics on the disease that claimed one quarter of the city's population. His dedication during these crises provided a significant amount of data for his later writings.
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Platter performed hundreds of human dissections as part of his teaching responsibilities. His research led to the first descriptions of intracranial tumors known as meningiomas, hypertrophy of the thalamus, Dupuytren's contracture, and the broad tapeworm. In ophthalmology, he overturned long-standing theories by identifying the retina as the primary visual receptor, rather than the lens. He also identified glassblower's cataracts among those working near intense heat.
Psychiatry and Natural Causes
In his clinical work, Platter attributed many mental illnesses to natural causes, distinguishing them from supernatural or demonic possession. This perspective was reflected in his major texts, including the 1602 Praxeos and the 1614 Observationum. His systematic approach to classifying human ailments influenced subsequent medical writers, including Robert Burton, who referenced Platter’s findings repeatedly in his own scholarship.
Scientific Collections and Personal Life
Outside of his medical practice, Platter was an avid collector of biological specimens, art, and instruments. He created an extensive herbarium with 813 specimens gathered from locations including Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, and Egypt, which is now held at the University of Bern. His personal diaries, written in German and Latin, detail his experiences as a student and his daily life in Basel.
Fast facts
- Born: 1536, Basel
- Died: 1614, Basel
- Citizenship: Switzerland
- Professions: Physician, psychiatrist, botanist, anatomist
- Education: University of Montpellier, University of Basel
- Major Work: Praxeos (1602–1608)
- Religion: Reformed
Questions readers ask
What was Felix Platter’s primary contribution to ophthalmology?
He was the first to recognize that the retina acts as the visual receptor of the eye, rather than the lens.
Did Felix Platter consider all mental illness to be caused by natural factors?
He largely attributed mental illness to natural causes, though he did not entirely rule out the possibility of evil spirits in specific cases.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Basel
- Fields: medicine, psychiatry and anatomy
