Schott, Gaspar

, a learned Jesuit, was born in 1608, in the diocese of Wurtzburg. His favourite studies were philosophy and mathematics, which he taught till his death. He passed several years at Palermo, whence he removed to Rome, where he contracted an intimacy with the celebrated Kircher, who communicated to him several of his observations on the arts and sciences. Schott was author of several works, of which the most remarkable are, 1, “Physica curiosa; sive Mirabilia Naturae et artis,” 1667, 4to. 2. “Magia naturalis et artificialis,” 1657 59, 4 vols. 4to, reprinted in 1677. 3. “Technica curiosa,” Norimberg, 1664, 4to, in which is found the first idea of the airpump. 4. “Anatomia Physico-hydrostatica Fontium et Fluminum.” 5. “Organum Mathematicum.” In the various writings of this Jesuit are to be met with the germs of the greater part of modern experiments in physics. Complete sets of them should consist of 20 vols., but they are not easily procured, as they were almost entirely forgotten, till brought to notice in 1785 by the abbé Mercier, in his “Notice des ouvrages de Caspar Schott.” ²