Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1748-1804)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen. He studied medicine under his father Philipp Friedrich Gmelin at University of Tübingen and graduated with an MD in 1769, with a thesis entitled: Irritabilitatem vegetabilium, in singulis plantarum partibus exploratam ulterioribusque experimentis confirmatam. His thesis however records Ferdinand Christoph Oetinger as his adviser or praeses. This is presumably because his father died the year before in 1768, and Oetinger had to take over. The role of a praeses in those days was quite significant in that the thesis was written by the praeses and not the student.

In 1769, he became an adjunct professor of medicine at University of Tübingen. In 1773 he became professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of medicine at University of Göttingen. He was promoted to full professor of medicine and professor of chemistry, botany and mineralogy in 1778. He died in 1804 in Göttingen.

Johann Friedrich Gmelin published several textbooks in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceutical science, mineralogy and botany. He also published the 13th edition of Systema Naturae by Carolus Linnaeus in 1788.

PUBLICATIONS

 * Gmelin, J. F. 1790. Caroli a Linné, systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima tertia, aucta, reformata. Tomus I. Pars V. Lipsiae [= Leipzig]: G. E. Beer, pp. 2225-3020.