Karl Eichwald
Karl Eduard von Eichwald (Russian: Эдуард Иванович Эйхвальд, Eduard Ivanovich Eykhvald; 4 July 1795, in Mitau, Courland Governorate – 10 November 1876, in Saint Petersburg) was a Baltic German geologist, physician, and naturalist, who worked in Russia.
Karl Eichwald | |
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Karl Eichwald | |
Born | 4 July 1795 |
Died | 10 November 1876 81) St. Petersburg, Russia | (aged
Nationality | Baltic German |
Citizenship | Russian Empire |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Geology Medicine |
Career
Eichwald was a Baltic German born at Mitau in Courland Governorate. He became a doctor of medicine and professor of zoology in Kazan in 1823; four years later professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at Vilnius; in 1838 professor of zoology, mineralogy and medicine at St. Petersburg; and finally, professor of palaeontology in the institute of mines in that city.
He travelled much in the Russian Empire, and was a keen observer of its natural history and geology. He died at St. Petersburg.
Works
His published works include Reise auf dem Caspischen Meere und in den Caucasus, 2 vols. (Stuttgart and Tübingen, 1834-1838); Die Urwelt Russlands (St Petersburg, 1840-1845); Le Lethaea Rossica, ou Paléontologie de la Russie, 3 vols. (Stuttgart, 1852-1868), with Atlases.
In the scientific field of herpetology he described several new species of reptiles.[2]
His work is not devoid of serious shortcomings, dependent in part on the nature of the compiler. In old age, few self-confident scientists are willing to admit their mistakes. Part of the errors were because of low-quality material, which had been gathered for him by often inexperienced or illiterate people. Therefore, the conclusions are not always trustworthy.
See also
Notes
- Corsi, Pietro. (2005). Before Darwin: Transformist Concepts in European Natural History. Journal of the History of Biology 38: 67-83.
- The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- IPNI. Eichw.
References
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. .
External links
- Rulex.ru: Biography of Karl Eichwald—(in Russian)