Bartholin, Erasmus

1. Dates

Born: Roskide, Denmark, 13 Aug. 1625

Died: Copenhagen, 4 Nov. 1698

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 73

2. Father

Occupation: Physician, Academic

Caspar Bartholin, Physician, Academic. He died when Erasmus was four.

No clear information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: Roskide, Denmark

Career: Denmark

Death: Copenhagen, Denmark

4. Education

Schooling: Copenhagen, B.A. and M.A.; Leiden; Padua, M.D.

Taught initially by private teachers, then attented Latin school.

1642-4: Univ. of Copenhagen, B.A. in 1644. M.A. in 1647.

Studied math. at the University of Leiden for several years beginning in 1645.

1651: studied mathematics in France and Italy, ultimately at Padua where he was Consiliarius for the German Nation and Vice-syndicus for the university.

M.D., 1654 at Padua.

1654-6: travelled and studied in Italy.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Lutheran.

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Mathematics, Optics

Subordinate: Medicine, Astronomy

Major contribution to science was his study of Icelandic spar.

Writings in pure math. were fairly numerous but not of great importance.

Wrote a little on medicine.

Observed the comets of 1665 and other astronomical objects, and published about this topic.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Academia, Patronage, Government

Professor of mathematics at Copenhagen, 1657.

Extraordinary chair of medicine, 1657.

Royal Mathematician, 1667.

Ordinary chair of medicine, 1671.

Teacher to Prince Joergen, 1671.

Dean of the faculty of medicine.

Librarian.

Rector in three different years.

Royal physician.

Privy concilor, Advisor to the chancellor, then minister of justice.

8. Patronage

Type: Court Official

He was supported and directed by Frederick III of Denmark to prepare for publication of collected manuscript observations of Tycho Brahe.

In addition, all of the connections to the court, and the various appointments above.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Medical Practice

As a physician, he introduced quinine in the fight against malaria.

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

He worked with Ole Roemer on Tycho's manuscripts.

He worked with Niels Stensen on crystallography.

Sources

1. Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, (Copenhagen, 1979), 1, 475-6.
2. V. Ingerslev, Dansk Laeger og Laegevaesen, (Copenhagen, 1873-4), pp. 586-9.
3. Not consulted: Axel Garboe, "Nicolaus Steno & Erasmus Bartholin" in Danmarks geologiske undersogelse, 4th ser., 3, no. 9 (1954), pp.38-48 QE278 A4 Ser.3 V. Maar, Den forste anvendelse of kinsbark i Danmark, (Leiden, 1925). Kirstine Meyer, Erasmus Bartholin, et Tidsbillede, (Copenhagen, 1933). Jed Z. Buchwald and Kurt Moeller Pedersen, "Introduction," in Erasmus Bartholin, Experiments on Bifrefringent Icelandic Crystal, trans. Thomas Archibald, (Copenhagen, 1991).

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.