Jan Ewangelista Purkynie (1787–1869) – fizjolog, fenomenolog, wrocławianin

Jan Evangelista Purkinje: A Passion for Discovery

“…Although the loss affected the social status of the family and threatened the boys' educational plans, Purkinje was fortunate to attend the local primary school, where he learned the basics of music by singing and playing the violin and where John Comenius' The World in Pictures became his favorite book. [1][2][3][4][5] Did reading Comenius' book spark his passion for discovery? Could he have imagined that, dozens of years later, he, like Comenius, would also be an author and that cardiologists around the globe would recognize his name?…”

“…The curriculum included philosophy, Latin, Greek, modern languages, history, geography, mathematics, and physics; Purkinje was most interested in studying the natural sciences. [1][2][3][4][5] Purkinje became a novice in the Piarist order and took the name Silverius, but instead of becoming a priest, he left the order in 1807 and returned home. The chronicle of the monastery in Litomysl includes a record of the event: "Cleric Silverius Purkinje left our institute and went to his hometown Libochovice" (translated from Latin).…”

“…Rudolphi, who was called the "father of helminthology," later became Purkinje's father-in-law. [1][2][3][4][5] Unfortunately, Purkinje's start at the university was not easy. For example, when he asked for a new microscope, his request was denied because his respectable predecessor had had a brilliant academic career without having used such an instrument.…”

“…Purkinje had to wait 9 years for his microscope, but the one he got was worth the wait: it was an achromatic Simon Plössl microscope, the best device of the time. [1][2][3][4][5] The year he arrived in Wroclaw, Purkinje presented a new method for objective investigation of the eye, which enabled physicians to measure the curvature of the cornea and diagnose eye disorders. Today, reflections of structures within the eye, such as the inner and outer surfaces of the cornea and of the lens, are called Purkinje images or Purkinje-Sanson images.…”

“…This and his many other publications brought fame to him and his Institute of Physiology in Wroclaw. [1][2][3][4][5][6] In 1827, Purkinje celebrated his 40th birthday and married Rudolphi's daughter, Julia Agnes, who was 27 years old. The couple had 2 daughters and 2 sons, whom they raised in a cosmopolitan, trilingual (German-Czech-Polish) home.…”