Valerius Cordus
Valerius Cordus | |
---|---|
Born | 18 February 1515 |
Died | 25 September 1544 Rome, Papal States | (aged 29)
Valerius Cordus (18 February 1515 – 25 September 1544) was a German
Cordus wrote prolifically, and identified and described several new plant species and varieties. The plant genus Cordia is named for him.
Life
In 1515, Valerius Cordus was born either in the city of
Valerius began his higher education in 1527, at the young age of 12, when he enrolled at the
In 1539 he relocated to
In 1540 Cordus discovered and described a revolutionary technique for synthesizing ether, which involved adding
In 1543, while on his way for a long trip in Italy, he presented his pharmacopoeia, Dispensatorium, to the Nuremberg city council. The council paid him 100 gold guilders following the acceptance of the work in October of the same year, and had the work published posthumously in 1546.[1]
In October 1543, Cordus left Nuremberg for Italy.[2] He stayed in Padua and Venice during the winter and next spring. Shortly after Pentecost, he and two German naturalists started to traverse Italy, continuing in the height of summer. In the Maremma, on the Italian westcoast, they ventured into the marshes in search of novel plants. Soon after, Cordus exhibited what may have been the symptoms of malaria. He was also hit on the leg by a horse, causing great pain, and possibly an infection. The party brought the feverish Cordus to Rome, where they arrived on September 1 or 2. When Cordus showed signs of improvement, the rest embarked on a trip to Naples. Cordus, aged 29, died in their absence, on the evening of September 25. He was interred at Santa Maria dell'Anima, the German Catholic church in central Rome.
Legacy
Throughout his short life, Cordus travelled extensively, visited many universities, and was widely acclaimed by his colleagues and other associates. He was an impressive linguist, and also spoke eloquently on philosophy. As a botanist, he observed with a breadth and depth that surpassed most of his contemporaries; as a scientist, his methodology was systematic and thorough.
After the death of Cordus, Conrad Gessner published a considerable amount of Cordus' remaining unpublished work, including De Extractione (which featured Cordus' ether synthesis method), Historia stirpium and Sylva in 1561.
The standard author abbreviation V.Cordus is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[3]
Notes
- ^ Sprague, T.A. (1939). "The Herbal of Valerius Cordus". The Journal of the Linnean Society of London. LII (341). Linnean Society of London.
- OCLC 45889011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- ^ International Plant Names Index. V.Cordus.
References
- Theodor Husemann (1876), "Cordus, Valerius", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 4, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 479–480
- Valerius Cordus at the Galileo Project
- Valerius Cordus de Oberhessen at Só Biografias (in Portuguese)
- Groll, E. K. (Hrsg.): Biografien der Entomologen der Welt : Datenbank. Version 4.15 : Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, 2010 (in German)
- Isely, Duane (2002). One Hundred and One Botanists. OCLC 947193619.
External links
- Media related to Valerius Cordus at Wikimedia Commons