:^C) HISTORY OF BOTANY. 



Otho Brunfels was born about the year 1464, in the 

 neighbourhood of Mayence, and died at Berne, 1534. He 

 was a physician, who restored the study of practical Botany 

 in Europe by his direct investigations in the fiekls. 



Valerius Cordus was born at Simtshausen, in Hesse, 

 1515, and received the rudiments of his education at Erfurt, 

 and afterwards studied at the University of Marburg, where 

 he took the degree of bachelor of medicine. In 1531 he 

 went to Wittemburg, and studied under Melancthon. He 

 travelled in Prussia, Saxony, Switzerland, and Italy, and it 

 was while journeying to Eome that he was seized with fever 

 and died, 1544, at the age of 29. His early death was con- 

 sidered a great loss to Science. Of his numerous works * A 

 Pharmaceutical Dispensatory,' 'Annotations on Dioscorides,' 

 and a ' History of Plants ' may be particularly mentioned. 



Conrad Gesner was an eminent physician and philosopher 

 of Zurich. He studied at different seats of learning in 

 France, but returned to Zurich, where he was made professor 

 of philosophy; he was a voluminous author, and from 

 the great extent of his attainments has been called the 

 German Pliny. 



I next notice Fuchs, taking these contemporary authors 

 in the order of the publication of their works, rather than 

 the date of their birth. Leonard Fuchs, a celebrated 

 physician and botanist, was born at Wemdigen, in Swabia, 

 1501, and died at Tubingen, 1565. His ' History of Plants ' 

 was published in 1542 ; it is illustrated by outline plates, 

 which have been much admired for their faithfulness. The 

 object of the work is to describe exactly the plants used in 

 medicine. The chapters are arranged in sections, as was 

 usual at that time ; the first treating on the names in 

 different languages, with their derivations and meanings ; 

 then follow the different kinds, and descriptions of them, 

 and afterwards the habitat, time of flowering, and temperature ; 



