Frederik Ruysch's Fascination With Urolithiasis

• Main Authors: Moran, Michael E, Ruzhansky, Katherine
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0094-243X
• DOI: 10.1063/1.2998042

Frederik Ruysch was born on March 23, 1638, in The Hague, and studied at the University of Leiden, where he graduated in 1664. He married a daughter of a famous architect and became a praelector of the Amsterdam surgeon's guild in 1665. In 1666, his rise continued, as he became elected as the Professor of the Anthenaeum Illustre. In 1668, Ruysch became the chief instructor to the midwives and by 1679 was the forensics advisor to Amsterdam's courts. His anatomical knowledge was second to none, and he gained worldwide notoriety for his discovery of the valves in lymphatics and the vomeronasal organ. Ruysch was keenly interested in dissection and anatomy, and developed his own methods for preservation of specimens. His secret was called liquor balsamicum. Over 300 years ago, Ruysch developed all of his talents to the point of creating a menagerie, of sorts, out of his specimens. The popularity of his rather morbid exhibits attracted such dignitaries as Peter The Great in 1697. Ruysch had several children from his marriage, and his daughter Rachel helped him illustrate many of his collections. Frederik Ruysch became an intriguing historical figure, worthy of some attention at kidney stone meetings, precisely because he chose these concretions to serve as one of the 'finishing elements' in several of his collections. The purpose of this presentation is to present to a knowledgeable stone group, the artistic license of one of the first entrepreneurial surgeons and anatomists of the 17th century. Ruysch was a skilled surgeon, obstetrician, and anatomist, keenly interested in the science of anatomy, especially infant and fetal anatomy. In addition, he exhibited his fine collection of urinary stones in a rather unique way, in his 'anatomical pieces.'