MDMD(4): Equation, p. 134

[Basileios Drolias]

On Thu, 24 Jul 1997 andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk wrote:

> 
> No, it isn't. But, as I said, the biog under review implied that his
> madness centred around some rather wacko mix of astrology and
> astronomy, and also manifested, I recall now that you mention it, in
> an interest in alchemy. It also suggested that the mercury was
> probably what drove him to such potty conclusions. What would you
> recommend by way of further reading?
> 

Richard Westfalls "Never at rest" is the definite best. In that it is 
mentioned that some samples of his scull were obtained for research 
purposes in 1985 and it was found that his hair contained mercury a few 
tens of times more than the "allowed" mercury doses one should get. No 
wonder he got paranoid and cracked in 1693 (and stopped being a physicist 
after that....)

basil