The concept of conservation and transformation of energy was proposed by the 19th century doctor,
Robert Mayer. This concept derives from a clinical observation. During the 1st centennial
celebrations, the medical profession posed the question of whether Mayer had indeed observed
what he claimed and took as the basis of the principle of conservation of energy: if the colour of
venous blood in the tropics was lighter than in colder regions, then this was a result of a higher
oxygen consumption to maintain body temperature. In this paper, it was shown that, based on
Mayer’s data and contemporary physiology, this observation could indeed have occurred but for a
different reason.
References
[1]
Braunwald, E., Fauci, A. S., Kasper, D. L., Hauser, S. L., Longo, D. L., & Jameson, J. L. (2001). Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (15th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
[2]
Caneva, K. (1993). Robert Mayer and the Conservation of Energy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
[3]
Farber, E. (1954). The Colour of Venous Blood. Isis, 45, 3-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/348281
[4]
Guyton, A., & Hall, J. (2006). Textbook of Medical Physiology (11th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier.
[5]
Jentsch, E. (1916). Zur Geschichte der Entdeckung Julius Robert Mayer. Die Naturwissenschaften, 4, 90-93.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01497222
[6]
Mayer, J. R. (1842). Bemerkungen uber die Krafte der unbelebten Natur. Annalen der Chimie und Pharmazie, 42, 233-240.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jlac.18420420212
[7]
Mayer, J. R. (1845). Die Organische Bevegung in ihrem Zusammenhange mit dem Stoffwechsel. Heilbronn. (In Mayer 1978).
[8]
Rocha-Homem, T. (2014). Energia e Medicina: Mayer e Helmholtz. PhD Dissertation, Lisbon: Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa.
[9]
Saussure, T. (1804). Rechercheschimiquessur la végétation. Paris: Chez la V Nion.
