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Journal of the association of physicians of india • vol 63 • march, 2015
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799)
JV Pai-Dhungat*, Falguni Parikh**
Lazzaro Spallanzani-Italy, 1979
L
Bat on a full moon night- Belarus, 2006
a z z a r o S p a l l a n z a n i wa s a b r i l l i a n t
investigator in biology, natural science
and experimental physiology. Although not a
physician himself, he advanced fundamental
concepts which exerted great influence on the
practice of medicine.
A true founder of experimental physiology,
he was born in Scandiano, in Northern Italy and
attended the University of Bologna. He became
a priest, in order to help support himself, and
taught at several Italian Universities. He visited
Naples, while Vesuvius was in eruption, and
made trips along the Mediterranean and into
Turkey, collecting natural specimens. In 1768
he was invited by Maria Teresa, to become
director of Pavia Museum, where he taught
natural sciences and displayed his collection.
*
Professor (Retd), **Associate
Professor, Dept. of Medicine, TN
Medical College & BYL Nair Ch.
Hospital, Mumbai 400 008
His most dramatic work was in connection
with spontaneous creation. A century before
though, Redi, had shown that even insects were
born out of eggs. The question had persisted
regarding microorganisms, discovered by
Leeuwenhoek. Spallanzani tackled the problem
by boiling the solutions that would breed
microorganisms, for 30-45 minutes, sealing the
flasks thereafter. No organisms appeared in
the solution however long they were observed,
though some observed ones were resistant
to brief boiling, all succumbed to prolonged
boiling. Spallanzani proved that his procedure
killed all the organisms in the solution, as well
as the inner wall of the flasks. The fact proved
that there was no spontaneous generation.
This made possible Appert's advances in food
preservation. However, believers still held that
by long boiling, Spallanzani had destroyed
some "vital principle" in the air without which
microorganisms could not breed. It was another
century, before this objection was resolved by
Pasteur.
In the last decade of his life, Spallanzani
grew interested in the question of nocturnal
animals finding their way. He blinded some
bats and found them still capable of flying with
perfect ease, their stomachs being crammed
with insect remains, which meant they could
catch insects while blinded. However he was
intrigued to see that when he plugged their
ears they were helpless. How did they see with
their ears? - That was forgotten. Knowledge
of today's ultrasound answered the question.
He can therefore be called "Grandfather of
ultrasonography".
Spallanzani's other important work was
to study digestion process, respiration and
fertilisation of ovum by sperm. All his results
were published in his two volume textbook
in 1780.