Until the middle of the 19th century medical faculties in the Netherlands had a limited number of institutes: a university hospital and an anatomical cabinet. The situation changed when research activities concentrated on the analyses of the processes underlying the functioning of living organisms under normal and pathological circumstances, and on the study of causes of diseases. New research and teaching methods were needed. Emphasis was given to the experimental method, vivisection and the use of registration methods. In addition to the differentiation of professorial chairs this resulted in spatial separation of disciplines. At first separate laboratories of physiology were established, and later on laboratories of pathology, hygiene, pharmacology and anatomy. After this phase of laboratory-foundations a second one followed around World War I. First of all because developments in the different disciplines caused the need of rooms for special purposes (climate rooms, cold-storage chambers, rooms for spectroscopy, etc.) in addition to undifferentiated laboratory-rooms. Moreover, medical faculties showed a tendency towards bridging the gap between clinical and pre-clinical disciplines by concentration of their buildings in a kind of "cite medicale."

De Jong was hoogleraar Farmacologie aan het Rudolf Magnus Instituut

Matthias van Geuns was achtereenvolgens geneesheer en 'physicus' te Groningen (1761-1775). In 1775 werd hij benoemd tot 'Professor Medicinae, Praxeos, Chemiae et Botaniae nec non Artis Obstetriciae'. In 1791 volgde zijn benoeming tot hoogleraar in de ziektekunde en de medische praktijk aan de Universiteit te Utrecht. In 1815 ging deze befaamde hoogleraar met emeritaat. In het boekje komt een groot aantal aspecten uit het leven van deze veelzijdige persoon aan de orde

Van Geuns was hoogleraar Medicijnen, i.h.b. de botanie en de fysiologie (1791-1795), de scheikunde (1794/95), directeur van de hortus botanicus (1791-1795)