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Physiognomy: A Study in Character

Physiognomy was the science of predicting a person’s character and health according to his physical appearance, especially the face and head. This ancient science dated back to Hippocrates in the fifth century BC, and Giambattista della Porta (1535?-1615) popularized it two thousand years later, comparing different human forms to animals. In this image, he shows that noble humans often resemble the noblest of animals, the horse.



Copperplate engraved illustration showing a man and a horse in profile, each facing right, with the man wearing a toga and text below the image, from Giambattista della Porta’s De Humana Physiognomonia. (Vico Equense: G. Cacchi, 1586). NLM Call number: WZ 240 P839dh 1586.

Physiology and the Science of Motion

Physiology, or the science of how the body functions, was studied in tandem by horse veterinarians and physicians, as each tested their hypotheses on their patients. Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (1608-1679) was one of the first physicians to apply the concepts of physics and mechanics to the human and animal body, viewing the bones and joints as levers and the heart as a pump.



Copperplate engraved illustration showing the physics of motion of three birds, three fish, and a leaping horse, with comparisons of a squatting man, dog and money, from Giovanni Borelli’s De Motu Animalium. (Rome: A. Bernabo, 1680). NLM Call number: WZ 250 B7315dm 1680.


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| Introduction | Disease, Zodiac, & Bloodletting Charts | Anatomy: Art & Science |
| Physiognomy & Physiology | Embryology & Fetal Development | Gallery of Images |