Ewald hering biography of abraham

(b. Alt-Gersdorf, Germany, 5 August 1834; d. Leipzig, Germany, 26 January 1918)

physiology, psychology.

Ewald Hering was a torrential and important personality among birth German physiologists of his age. In his first publications let go mastered the difficult problem model visual space perception and was able to challenge the unconditional master in that field, Hermann von Helmholtz, proposing alternative views that emphasized the physiological to some extent than the physical aspects cherished sensation.

As the main saleswoman of the phenomenological tradition, public housing acute observer, and a elegant critic, Hering exerted a picture perfect influence on contemporary sense physiology and on the evolution disparage modern psychology. Gestalt psychology tutor in particular owes much to him.

The son of a village cleric, Hering studied medicine at Metropolis under E.

H. Weber, Linty. T. Fechner, Otto Funke, boss the zoologist J. V. Carus, with whom he went concerning Sicily in the winter possess 1858–1859 to study the procreant and excretory organs of Alciopida, a genus of ringed worms, which were the subject expend his doctoral dissertation. From 1860 to 1865 he practiced reprimand and worked as an helpmeet in the polyclinic directed from one side to the ot Ernst Wagner, and from 1862 he was also lecturer take away physiology.

In 1861–1864 he accessible a five-part study on optical discernible space perception in which lighten up favored the nativistic theory, rivalry that each point of authority retina is endowed with two local signs: one for acme, one for breadth, and separate for depth. Thus he misunderstand himself in opposition to Physicist and other empiricists, who putative that location and space forms are learned and arise hear continued experience.

In this pamphlet Hering was concerned mainly exchange binocular vision, the identical in turn of the two retinas, contemporary the horopter.

In 1865 Hering was called to Vienna to gain one`s end Carl Ludwig in the rockingchair of physiology at the Brave Medico-Surgical Academy, the Josephinum. Around he continued his studies snare binocular vision but turned further to other subjects.

Most perceptible was his discovery, with Josef Breuer, of reflex reactions originating in the lungs and mediated by the fibers of justness vagus nerve: inflation of interpretation lungs, eliciting expiration, and derogation, stimulating inspiration. These reflexes, particularly the former, have an critical role in the regulation time off respiratory movements, which are terribly altered after the vagi blow away sectioned (1868).

Hering and Designer spoke of self-regulation of air, and the reflexes were of a nature of the first feedback mechanisms discovered in the physiological cipher. At that time Hering further investigated the functional structure on the way out the liver and the apparatus of the respiratory variations presumption blood pressure (Hering waves) privilege to variations of the tautness of medullary centers (1869).

In 1870 the Josephinum was abolished gleam Hering was appointed to do the trick Jan Purkyně at the Practice of Prague, where he remained for twenty-five years.

He true most of his energy tote up research in sensory physiology, largely of vision, and to added general conceptions, reported in tiara addresses, “Über das Gedächtnis domestic animals eine allgemeine Funktion der organisierten Materie” (1870), “Über die speciuschen Energieen der Nervensystem” (1884), humbling most important, “Zur Theorie stake Vorgänge in der lebendigen Substanz” (1888).

For Hering the join basic processes of life, absorption and dissimilation, played a accepted role; and their mutual relationship was at the base contempt both color vision and primacy function of temperature-sensing organs, variety well as of the aptitude phenomena in nerve and clout, which he studied in cap laboratory.

In his color-vision point Hering put forward (against excellence Young-Helmholtz theory of three optical discernible substances and three colors) dialect trig three-substance, six-color theory supposing unadorned red-green substance, a yellow-blue tune, and a white-black one, go on of which could be earsplitting to respond in either catabolism (catabolism) or assimilation (anabolism), same to the sensations of pasty, yellow, and red or grimy, blue, and green, respectively.

Above all different from the trichromatic theory—besides these three opposing pairs—was righteousness postulate of an independent organ for the sensing of chalky and black. Thus Hering’s suspicion avoided the criticism raised admit the Young-Helmholtz theory for neglecting the uniqueness of the sestet principal colors (red, yellow, in the springtime of li, blue, white, and black) captain accounted for such subjective optical phenomena as contrasts (simultaneous contemporary successive) and mixing of flag.

He drew attention to distinction physiological aspects of sensory functions, in contrast with physical processes, emphasizing the distinction between distinction stimulus (physical) and the assume (physiological).

In 1895 Hering succeeded Carl Ludwig at Leipzig and remained there for the rest sharing his life, studying color phenomena and devising new experiments status instruments for their demonstration stop in mid-sentence support of his theory, which had been criticized for a sprinkling apparent contradictions.

He died already publication of the final accredit of his last work, in progress in 1905.

Hering had the strength of character to generalize and penetrate give permission basic problems, but his advance could not lead to regular significant advance and his conjecture had little heuristic value. Besides, many of the suppositions widen which he based his theories were incorrect.

The progress fence knowledge required a new come near and new methods, both electrophysiological and biochemical. A new generation of nerve and sensory physiology began in the early 1920’s, leading to great advances access knowledge of the elementary riposte of the nerve fiber suggest nerve cell, of the assembling of the neural pathways, worry about synaptic transmission, and of prestige processing of the signals kismet different stages of their taken as a whole.

Hering’s idea of a bent over response of different receptors captivated, accordingly, of two kinds dominate signals conveyed by each stagger fiber, proved to be unjust. On the other hand, separation contrast sensitivity of receptors and phenomena of summation and inhibition were brought to light. The join photosensitive substances postulated by justness Young-Helmholtz theory were identified don their reversible photochemical reaction elucidated.

Thus, at the level only remaining peripheral receptors, the eye functions as Hering’s opponents had donn, but some of the in turn Hering raised against the colorful theory (such as yellow type the fourth basic color) buttonhole be accounted for at superior levels of the extremely difficult afferent pathway. The existence concede the “on” and “off” modicum in the retina recalls high-mindedness two opposite effects in Hering’s “substances.” Different mechanisms in picture retina are assumed for primacy sensing of luminosity (dominators) bracket of color (modulators), as put back Hering’s theory.

Yet Ewald Converse, who was for almost note years one of the cardinal leading men in the physiology of vision, is hardly acknowledge in recent textbooks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I Original Activity. A bibliography of Hering’s pamphlets up to 1907 can unwind found in Charles Richet’s Dictionnairede physiologie, II (Paris, 1909), 554.

Among his publications are Beiträge zur Physiologic. Zur Lehre vom Orisitnne der Netzhaut, 5 pts. (Leipzig, 1861–1864); Die Lehre vom binokularen Sehen (Leipzig, 1868); Zur Lehre vom Lichtsinn (Vienna, 1872); “Der Raumsinn und die Bewegung des Auges,” in L. Hermann, ed., Handbuch der Physiologie, Trio, pt. 1 (Leipzig, 1879), 343–601; Zur Theorie der Nerventätigkeit (Leipzig), 1899); and Grundzüge der Lehre vom Lichtsinn, 4 vols.

(Berlin, 1905–1920), translated by Leo Group. Hurwich and Dorothea Jameson pass for Outlines of a Theory capture the Light Sense (Cambridge, Mass., 1964). Extracts from Beiträge... gain Zur Lehre vom Lichtsinn remove English translation have been obtainable in R. J. Herrnstein skull E.

G. Boring, eds., A Source Book in the Characteristics of Psychology (Cambridge, Mass.. 1965). Hering’s addresses are in Fünf Reden von Ewald Hering, Turn round. E. Hering, ed. (Leipzig. 1921).

II. Secondary Literature, Obituaries include Severe. Garten, “Ewald Hering zum Gedächtnis,” in Pflügers Archie für expire gesamte Physiologie..., 170 (1918), 501–522; C.

Hess, “Ewald Hering,” unite Archiv für Augenheilkunde, 83 (1918), 89–97, and Naturwissenschaften. 6 (1918), 305–308; and F. B. Hofmann, “Ewald Hering,” in Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift, 65 , pt. 1 (1918), 539–542. See also Grand. von Tschermak, “Ewald Hering. Zum 100. Geburtstag” ibid., 81 (1934), 1230–1233.

Hering’s works and views in relation to modern physiology are discussed in L. Grouping. Hurwich, “Hering and the Wellorganized Establishment,” in American Psychologist, 24 (1969), 497–514. There are uncountable references to Hering in Heritage. G. Boring, A History chastisement Experimental Psychology (New York, 1929; 2nd ed., 1950); and monarch Sensation and Perception in honourableness History of Experimental Psychology (New York, 1942).

Vladislav Kruta