Johannes Jessenius or Ján Jesenský (1566–1621): on the quadricentinale of death of a central European scientist, physician, teacher and philosopher

Abstract

Johannes Jessenius or Ján Jesenský (1566–1621) can be considered as a contradictory and inconsistent personality of the early modern history. Being not only a physician, but also scientist, teacher, philosopher and even historian and politician, he definitively ranks among the outstanding polymaths of his time in the region of Central Europe. His scientific interest was focused on human anatomy (the first public dissection in Central Europe in 1600 and the first description of “septum scroti” in males), study of malaria, new methods of treatment in surgery, hygiene and healthy eating, examination of blood, history of education in Prague, but also human embryology and philosophical considerations about the significance of the number “seven” for human life. Jessenius life was full of moving from town to town, increases and declines, striving for positions and acknowledgement of the emperors lined with disappointment and finally, it was closed at the execution ground after he got involved in politics in turbulent period 400 years ago. He paid the highest price, his life – both for his religion and political conviction. His life was connected with places in nowadays Poland, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Italy but full translations of his medical textbook themselves appear only in Slovak and Czech languages.