Allan Mullen facts for kids
Allan Mullen, also known as Mullin, Moulin, or Molines, was a very smart Irish doctor and scientist who lived in the 1600s. He was especially good at studying the human body and animals, a field called anatomy. He made some important discoveries about how eyes work and was a member of important scientific groups.
Contents
About Allan Mullen
Early Life and Education
Allan Mullen was born in the northern part of Ireland. He went to Trinity College Dublin, a famous university. He earned his first degree in 1676 and became a doctor in 1684. Around that time, he was also chosen to be a member of the College of Physicians in Ireland, a group for doctors.
Scientific Discoveries
Allan Mullen loved to do original research in anatomy. He became an important member of the Dublin Philosophical Society, a group where scientists shared their ideas. He wrote many valuable papers for them about human and animal bodies.
One of his most important discoveries was about the eye. He found out that the lens of the eye (the part that helps you focus) has tiny blood vessels. He seems to have figured this out while studying an elephant! Because of his important work, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society in London on July 18, 1683. This is a very high honor for scientists.
Later Life
In 1686, Allan Mullen moved to London. Later, in 1690, he traveled with a nobleman named William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin, to the West Indies. He hoped to find new opportunities there, possibly by discovering mines. Sadly, he died soon after arriving in Barbados.
Mullen's Scientific Work
Allan Mullen published a book called 'An Anatomical Account of the Elephant accidentally burnt in Dublin on 17 June 1681; together with a Relation of new Anatomical Observations on the Eyes of Animals.' This book came out in London in 1682.
His studies were so careful and detailed that other scientists have used his descriptions even many years later. He also wrote articles for a famous science magazine called 'Philosophical Transactions'.
- In 1685, he wrote about dissecting a "monstrous double cat."
- In 1687, he made a good guess about how much blood is in the human body.
- He also wrote about his experiments where he injected mercury into blood.
- He studied a "black shining sand" from Virginia.
- He shared his observations on the heads of different birds.
A famous scientist named Albrecht von Haller even recognized Mullen's discoveries about different parts of the eye.
