Jędrzej Śniadecki (1768-1838) 

Jędrzej Śniadecki was born on November 30, 1768, in Rydlewo, near Żnin. In 1787–1791, he studied medicine at the Kraków Academy; later, in 1793–1795, he continued his studies and hospital practice in Pavia, London, Edinburgh, and Vienna. In 1797, he was appointed professor of chemistry at Vilnius University, where he worked until retirement in 1822. In 1827, at the request of the University Council, he returned to the university, where he served as head of the Department of Medicine. Died on May 11, 1838 in Vilnius, buried in Horodniki (now Belarus). 

Prof. Jędrzej Śniadecki and his book "On the Physical Education of Children"

Vilnius University professor and president of the Vilnius Medical Society, Jędrzej Śniadecki (1768-1838) was a distinguished scholar in multiple fields, including chemistry, biology, medicine, hygiene and dietetics, philosophy, education, and the promotion of physical education in Poland and Lithuania. Of all his publications, the most notable was his research "Theory of Organic Beings", which, combining knowledge from several scientific fields, discusses the mutual relationship between living and inanimate nature.                                                

However, in the context of evolutionary medicine and auxology, his most prominent work was the healthy-lifestyle textbook "On the Physical Education of Children," which serves as a unique historical monument to the science of the Enlightenment and Romantic eras.  At the beginning of the 19th century, the new generation of the working-class and the bourgeoisie faced challenges reminiscent of our times, such as health inequalities, unhealthy habits, lack of systematic hygiene and physical activity, which was especially dangerous for children. In a broad psychosocial context, Professor Śniadecki analysed the specific factors related to the growth and maturation of children, as well as the possible prerequisites for deviations from natural development. The complex research discussed multiple factors, including heredity, sleep, nutrition, clothing, the ratio of mental to physical work, and their importance for health.