Tulp, Nicolaas

1. Dates

Born: Amsterdam, 11 October 1593

Died: The Hague, 12 September 1674

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 81

2. Father

Occupation: Merchant

Pieter Dirkz, a wealthy merchant.

Tulp himself first took this name, which means "tulip," from a decoration on the gable of his house.

3. Nationality

Birth: Dutch

Career: Dutch

Death: Dutch

4. Education

Schooling: Leiden, M.D.

Matriculated in 1611. M.D. in 1614.

I assume the equivalent of a B.A.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Calvinist

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Medicine, Anatomy, Pharmacology

Subordinate: Zoology

His Observationum medicarum libri tres, 1641, contains 228 case histories.

He proposed the first pharmacopoeia of the Netherlands and apparently supplied most of its contents.

He first described the chimpanzee scientifically.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Medicine, Government, City Magistrate

After taking his degree he settled in Amsterdam, where he quickly developed a lucrative practice.

He was appointed praelector of anatomy in 1618, a position he held until 1652. The position involved public lectures on anatomy and public dissection--see the famous painting by Rembrandt.

He was very prominent in the political life of Amsterdam and served four times as mayor.

8. Patronage

Type: None

I take it as obvious that his connections in Amsterdam materially forwarded his career. Nevertheless I did not find any mention of anything I would call patronage. Perhaps he was from the beginnning simply too prosperous to have need of patronage.

9. Technological Involvement

Types: Medical Practice, Pharmacology

10. Scientific Societies

Membership: Medical College

The Amsterdam Medical College was organized to enforce the decree that demanded sole use of Tulp's pharmacopoeia.

Sources

1. Nieuw Nederlandsch Biographisch Woordenboek.
2. G.A. Lindeboom, Dutch Medical Biography, (Amsterdam, 1984), pp. 2004-6.
3. Evert D. Baumann, Uit drie eeuwen nederlandsche geneeskunde, (Amsterdam, 1951), pp. 64-71.

Not Available and Not Consulted

1. G.A. Lindeboom, "Medical Aspect of Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp," Janus, 64 (1977), 179-204.
2. J.S. Theissen, "Nicolas (Claes Pieterz.) Tulp," in Gedenkboek van het Athenaeum en de Universiteit van Amsterdam, (Amsterdam, 1932), pp. 695-6.

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.