HIS AUTHORSHIP 
275 
undergo the examination for Candidate in the faculty 
of philosophy, such as medical men, must dispute pro 
exercitio , and afterwards before promotion, pro 
gradu. The former disputation in most cases was 
entirely the work of the Professor, who occupied the 
chair as Praeses. To ascertain how many of these 
disputations, 186 in number, came from Linne’s pen, 
is now impossible, but as regards a few, from the 
author’s own words, as well as the subject, such as 
Lofling’s “ Gemma arborum,” Soderberg’s “ Pandora 
et Flora rybyensis,” Tillseus’s “ De varia febrium,” 
were the outcome of the respondents’ own studies and 
observations. But even these have Linne’s stamp, 
his imprimatur , as he read them through, before 
completing, correcting and printing them. 
How this was done in most cases is known from 
the statement supplied by his pupil J. G. Acrel. “ All 
disputations he wrote by dictation, partly in Swedish, 
partly in Latin; to put these in order was the function 
of the respondent, and although he did not worry 
himself about the Latinity, he let his pupils know 
whether their task was well done or the reverse. To 
draft such a disputation required hardly three hours, 
as it was nothing else than a lecture on the subject 
which the respondent indicated.” Of course all could 
not be so easily performed, for it often required 
considerable trouble and scholarship from the 
respondent, though the most important part was to 
turn out a passable Latin version. With this it was 
usual for him to assume the “ authorship, with a 
flattering mention of the Prseses’s ” learning and 
acuteness. 
The worthiest of these disputations, together with 
academic orations and programmes, Linne collected 
and published under the general title of “ Amoenitates 
Academicae,” which came out during his lifetime in 
seven volumes, 1749-69; three later volumes were 
edited by Schreber with a new edition of the former 
seven. 
