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Biographical NoteIn 1666 Grand Duke Ferdinando II appointed Redi as his First Physician and director of the grand-ducal "Spezieria" (Pharmacy): positions in which he was confirmed by Cosimo III in 1670, when he became Grand Duke. So Redi spent much of his life at the Medici's Court and was, after Galileo, a unique example of scientist and courtier. He stressed the importance of medicine based on Hippocratic principles, and he emphasised the importance of prevention based on a balanced diet and the use of exclusively natural remedies. Most importantly, he helped invent the method of experimental biology and was involved in the greatest discovery of 17th century medicine: the origin of scabies from mites. His first publication, in 1664, was study of the toxicity, the origin and the mode of injection of snake venom. Return to the Table of Contents Collection SummaryTwelve letters discussing topics such as snakes, medical matters, and literature. Correspondents include Queen Christina of Sweden, V. da Filicara, Padre Baldigiani, Domenico Bettoni, Domenico David, M.D., and Redi's brother Giovanni Battista Redi. The letters are arranged chronologically and can be identified by a small pencil number in the upper left-hand corner. Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsRestrictionsCollection is not restricted. Contact the Reference Staff for information regarding access. For online customer service, please visit custserv@nlm.nih.gov. CopyrightCopyright to the collection was transferred to the public domain. Contact the Reference Staff for details regarding rights. For online customer service, please visit custserv@nlm.nih.gov. Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationPreferred CitationRedi, Francesco. Francesco Redi letters. 1683-1693. Located in: Modern Manuscripts Collection, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.; MS C 440. ProvenanceThe twelve letters in the Francesco Redi Collection were purchased from Hertzberger in 1972. Return to the Table of Contents Series Descriptions
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Last reviewed: 02 November 2006
Last updated: 02 November 2006
First published: 25 June 2004
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