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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
- Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, (Copenhagen, 1979), 1, 475-6.
- V. Ingerslev, Dansk Laeger og Laegevaesen, (Copenhagen, 1873-4), pp. 586-9.
- 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.
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