Biography.guide
Home › People › Physiologist › Francis Glisson
Portrait of Francis Glisson

Francis Glisson

1597 – 1677

British doctor;

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Francis Glisson

Lived 1597 – 1677 (aged 80). Francis Glisson was an English and British physiologist, anatomist and university teacher, known for Fibrous capsule of Glisson.

Francis Glisson (1597 – 14 October 1677 ) was an English physician, anatomist, and writer on medical subjects. He did important work on the anatomy of the liver, and he wrote an early pediatric text on rickets. An experiment he performed helped debunk the balloonist theory of muscle contraction by showing that when a muscle contracted under water, the water level did not rise, and thus no air or fluid could be entering the muscle.

Glisson was born in Bristol and was educated in Rampisham, Dorset, and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. Glisson is a well-known medical eponym; he was for forty years Regius Professor of Physic at Cambridge. He spent his later years in Covent Garden and died in London. The Glisson family can be traced to present-day Somerset.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Known for
Fibrous capsule of Glisson
Education
Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge
Positions held
President of the Royal College of Physicians
Employers
University of Cambridge
Awards
Goulstonian Lectures

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Francis Glisson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Francis Glisson?

British doctor; (1597-1677)

When was Francis Glisson born?

Francis Glisson was born on 14 October 1597 in Bristol.

When did Francis Glisson die?

Francis Glisson died on 14 October 1677 in London.

What was Francis Glisson's occupation?

Francis Glisson was a physiologist, anatomist and university teacher.

What was Francis Glisson known for?

Francis Glisson was known for Fibrous capsule of Glisson.

What nationality was Francis Glisson?

Francis Glisson was English and British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Francis Glisson

· Wikidata: Q1441514

· DBpedia: Francis Glisson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Francis Glisson. https://biography.guide/francis-glisson/

MLA: "Francis Glisson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/francis-glisson/.

Chicago: "Francis Glisson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/francis-glisson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:06 UTC