Carl von Linnaeus biography

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Carl von Linnaeus Biography

LINNÆUS, Carolus(1707–78). The generally used Latin name of Carl von Linné, the great Swedish naturalist, who is chiefly thought of as the originator of the modern nomenclatorial methods as applied to plants and animals, but is to be regarded in a broader sense as the forerunner of the modern systematists.

He was born in Råshult in Småland, Sweden, May 13 (old style; May 23, new style), 1707. His father, Nils Linnæus, was at that time a Lutheran vicar, who in 1709 became pastor. His mother was Christina Brodersson, daughter of the previous incumbent in the pastorate. The antecedents of Linnæus thus account for the desire which prompted and directed the efforts of his parents, in spite of their narrow circumstances, to give him the proper education for the ministry. Nevertheless it would seem that Nils Linnæus unconsciously gave a trend to the young mind of his first-born which may account for the direction which it afterward took in the man; for the pastor was an intelligent gardener, partly for the love of it and partly from necessity, and Linnæus wrote of his fathers: "He was an uncommon lover of rarities, and had a select garden of uncommon plants."

When the future naturalist was four years of age, it appears that, in spite of his tender years, he was unusually inquisitive in regard to plants. When he reached the age of eight he was assigned a garden spot of his own, and showed much energy in implanting all manner of wild growths. Certainly within these early childish years Linnæus had begun his course as a naturalist; for his love of collecting and habits of observation did in his case what they have in many another—they absorbed his real interest, while his regular tasks were performed more or less perfunctorily. It was fortunate for the boy’s peace of mind that his first schoolmaster, Lannerus, in the school at Vexiö, to which he was sent in 1717, was himself fond of botany and encouraged the boy in his botanizing. After seven years of the Gymnasium he passed into the college in the same town, but his academic behavior so ill satisfied his father that he became disturbed for the young man’s future. Though Linnæus expressed his willingness to conform to his father’s wishes and enter the ministry, he pleaded that he should be allowed to follow his own inclination. The father, however, urged by others who regarded Linnæus unfavorably, determined to apprentice him to a tradesman. From this fate, however, he was rescued through the intercession of Rothmann, a physician of the town of Vexiö, who, recognizing Linnæus’ industry and ability, directed his studies in physiology and supplied him with books on botany and medicine. Rothmann, in whose house he was at that time living with his father’s consent, had the rare experience of bringing a young man to his life work; and this circumstance illustrates most strikingly the wisdom of directing the young mind into its natural channels. After being with Rothmann, Linnæus went (1727) to Lund, where he furthered his studies under Dr. Kelian Stobæus for a year, after which he went, on Rothmann’s advice, to Upsala, where the renowned Rudbeck was teaching. Stobæus seems to have been offended at this, since he was not consulted in regard to the change. The young man arrived at Upsala with little money, and no prospect of self-support, which was the first consideration. While in this state of uncertainty he was one day examining plants in the garden of the university, when Dr. Celsius, a physician and botanist, met him, and shortly afterward engaged him as an assistant in compiling a treatise on the plants of the Bible (Hierobotanicon), giving him a home in return, and by recommendations enabling him to get opportunities to give private instruction. While with Celsius he became interested in Vaillant’s Sermo de Structura Florum (Leyden, 1718) and in Wallin’s Gamos Phyton (Upsala, 1729), the study of which led him to the writing of an essay on the sexes in plants. This essay served to recommend him to Rudbeck, to whom he was favorably introduced by Celsius. This introduction led to his appointment as Rudbeck’s adjunctus, at the same time being appointed to direct the garden in which he would gladly have become a gardener the year previous.

On May 12, 1732, he set out on an exploration of Lapland, carrying his whole outfit on his back. The cost of the journey ($125), which covered upward of 5000 miles, was defrayed by the Academy of Sciences of Upsala. His botanical results were published in his Flora Lapponica, which appeared five years later. An account of this journey is contained in the Lachesis Lapponica, which was translated in 1811 by J. E. Smith, the first president of the Linnean Society of London, by whom also the Linnæan collections and library were purchased in 1783. On his return from Lapland he made a scientific journey through Dalecarlia at the invitation of the Governor. While at Falun, where he attracted large numbers of people to some public lectures, he met the woman who afterward became his wife, viz., Sara, the daughter of Dr. Moré (Moræus), under whose patronage he went to the Netherlands to study for his degree in medicine. This he received in 1735 at Harderwijk. It was in this year that Linnæus published his Systema Naturœ, it being sent to the press at the expense of Dr. Gronovius, who at once recognized its value. This paper, the first edition of which consisted of eight folio sheets, ran through 12 editions, at the same time being expanded.

After obtaining his degree he came under the patronage of George Clifford, a banker of Amsterdam, who had a large garden at his estate, De Hertenkamp. His studies of Clifford’s plants appeared as the Hortus Cliffortianus. Linnæus stayed in Holland till 1739, and during his residence here wrote, besides the works mentioned above, his Fundamenta Botanica, Bibliotheca Botanica (both 1736), Critica Botanica, Genera Plantarum (both 1737), and his Classes Plantarum (1738). During this time also his scientific and influential acquaintance and his reputation increased very widely, so that, on prosecuting a journey to France and England, he received considerable, though in different places unequal, attention and recognition.

Returning to the Netherlands, he spent some time in the garden of Van Royen in Leyden. After his recovery from an illness through which he was tended by Clifford, he settled down to the practice of medicine at Stockholm, where, being comparatively unknown, he had little practice. He gained at length the appointment of naval physician (1739), and was at this time enabled to marry. He was honored in Stockholm by the presidency of the academy. In 1741 he was appointed professor of medicine in the University of Upsala, at which time also Rosén was appointed to the chair of botany. During this year Linnæus made a scientific tour of Oland and Gothland, the scientific results of which were published as "Oländska och Gothländska Resa" in 1745. In this paper popular names were first used. In the year following, 1742, Linnæus and Rosén exchanged their offices to their mutual advantage and satisfaction, and this circumstance marks the beginning of his career as teacher and student, which was free from care and uncertainty, and in which he reaped the reward of his previous diligence and perseverance. Until 1778, a period of 37 years was spent in teaching, study, and writing. Students crowded to the university to hear him; the many whom he won to the science of natural history went all over the earth in search of materials, and specimens poured into his hands from all quarters. His reputation became unique and world-wide. During this time, in addition to the revised editions of his previously published works, he wrote the famous Philosophia Botanica (1751), Flora Suecica (1745), Fauna Suecica (1746), Hortus Upsaliensis (1748), and the Species Plantarum (1753), in addition to other papers on Materia Medica. His Philosophia Botanica, and especially his Species Plantarum, have been truly regarded as epoch-making, as may be judged from the fact that in 1892 the systematic botanists in convention at Rochester formally adopted the date of publication of the Species Plantarum as the starting point for modern nomenclatorial rulings. The Linnæan system is still widely used in the schools of Germany, although superseded by more natural systems for general uses.

In 1761 he received the title of nobility, dated back to 1757, and was thereafter known as Carl von Linné. In 1767, at the age of 60, his remarkable memory began to fail. From 1774 to the time of his death, on Jan. 10, 1778, he suffered greatly as the result of apoplexy, having had no use of his right side for two years before he finally succumbed. He Was buried in the cathedral at Upsala.

It is impossible within the limits of a brief biographical sketch to do justice to this great man, for he more than any other has influenced modern systematology. He was the first to use a binomial nomenclature, although his use of it did not correspond to the present method. With Linnæus the specific name stood in the margin and had indexical value, while the generic name stood at the head of the description. His descriptions were stripped of all unnecessary words, and under his skill became terse diagnostic statements of pertinent characters. The system, which consisted in the classification of plants according to the number of stamens and pistils, was avowedly artificial, but was used by Linnæus to get order out of chaos.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XIV (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 183-184.