194 
LINN^US 
for his part find anything therein against the work of 
God, the general state, or good manners, and there¬ 
fore could not see what should hinder the disputation 
from being held. This was the prologue to a tragi¬ 
comic play, which created general scandal, not only 
in Uppsala, but also in wider circles. 
The 27th February, 1741, was the day appointed 
for the disputation on “ Decades binae thesium medi- 
carum 55 (Two decades of medical theses). Only a 
preliminary glance is needed to find that its contents 
were nothing but a detailed attack directed against 
Linnaeus’s “ Systema Naturae,” “ Flora lapponica,” 
and before all, his graduate disputation. That in one 
or two small things Wallerius was right cannot be 
gainsaid; but on the other hand, on other points it 
was obviously incorrect, petulant, and mean. More¬ 
over, one notes a tone of spite with a desire to distort 
statements and to slander rather than to honour an 
author, thus betraying his lack of learning and 
experience. The writing aroused great displeasure, 
even the title, “ Jussu Max. Ven. Senatus Acad.,” 
giving offence, as it was stated to have been used by 
order of the Consistory. This title had never before 
appeared on a disputation. In thirty-eight pages, 
Linnaeus’s name occurred between sixty and seventy 
times. 
Under such circumstances, and apprehending that 
the act would be of an unusual character, the students 
filled the largest auditorium of the University in great 
numbers. At first all was quiet and normal, but when 
the first opponent, after an hour’s speech, gave no hint 
of ending, the students, who were prepared for some¬ 
thing different, showed their impatience by stamping. 
Rosen, who for the first time as Dean, should have 
kept order, seems to have been irritated, and as the 
disputation went on, his bad temper increased, so that 
time after time he broke out against both audience 
and the other opponents. First among these Professor 
Beronius (if he might be termed an opponent) rose 
