Andreas Cleyer. This German born international trader, botanist, physician, and japanologist died in Batavia

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

, in what is now called Jakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

) in Indonesia.

Biography

Andreas Cleyer could be called a "soldier of fortune." He began as a modest soldier, and he made his fortune and reputation during the course of a career. He rose in the ranks of the Dutch East Indies Company, becoming a respected and well-known figure in the VOC's Batavian society.

• 1666: Andreas Cleyer, who had a license to practice medicine, came initially to Southeast Asia as a soldier of the VOC. His medical background led to a better posting as the manager of the VOC's military hospital pharmacy in Batavia and later the city pharmacy too. During this period, he also became rector of the Latin school.
• 1680: Cleyer was appointed a magistrate in the company-provided judicial system in Batavia.
• 1862-1863: The Executive Committee of at Batavia named Cleyer as Opperhoofd of the VOC trading post or "factory" at Dejima in Japan. His first period of duty encompassed October 20, 1682 thought November 8, 1683. Cleyer pretended to be Dutch so that he would be allowed to enter Japan during the Edo period
  Edo period
  The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
  
   and its sakoku
  Sakoku
  was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
  
  when none but employees of the Dutch East Indies Company were permitted to set foot on Japanese soil.
• 1685-1686: Cleyer returned again to Dejima from October 17, 1685 through November 5, 1686. On this occasion, he was banished from Japan by the Tokugawa authorities. He was reproached for failing in his duty to control smuggling.

Cleyer added to western botanical, zoological and medical knowledge in the course of his time in Southeast Asia. His collecting and categorizing activities were noteworthy in their number and extent.

Scientific treatises

Cleyer's published work is still available in rare book collections.

• Specimen Medicinae Sinicae, sive Opuscula Medica ad Mentem Sinensium. Zubrodt, Frankfurt 1682.
• Clavis medica ad Chinarum doctrinam de pulsibus / autore Michaele Boymo … in lucem Europaeam produxit Cl. Dn. Andreas Cleyerus …. Norimbergae, 1686.

• Excerpts from Cleyers Letters, published in the “Miscellanea curiosa medico-physica Academiae naturae curiosorum sive Ephemerides Germanicae” (See Michel, 1991):

1683: Decuria II, Annus I

• Observatio 16, De Ovo gallinaceo, cum serpentis imagine in testâ.
• Observatio 17, De Ovo gallinaceo praegnante & epate gallinarum insigni.
• Observatio 18, De Corporibus sphaericis permultis in ventriculo humano inventis.

1684: Decuria II, Annus II

• Observatio 5, De Elephantia Javae novae.
• Observatio 7, De Serpente magno Indiae Orientalis, Urobubalum deglutiente.
• Observatio 8, De Nube pyramidali in Oceano attractiva.

1685: Decuria II, Annus III

• Observatio 13, De S.Thomae Christianis Indiae Or. pedibus strumosis.

1686: Decuria II, Annus IV

• Observatio 1, De Moxa.
• Observatio 2, De Radice Gensingh.
• Observatio 3, De Catechu.
• Observatio 4, De Herba Thee.
• Observatio 5, De Fructu Ananas.
• Observatio 6, De Cinnamomo & Cassia lignea.
• Observatio 92, De Japanensium arbusculis Tzudzinsic dictis.

1687: Decuria II, Annus V

• Observatio 40, De Arbore laccifera Japanensi Fasnoky sive Namra.
• Observatio 41, De Arbore Mami Itabo Japonensium.

1688: Decuria II, Annus VI

• Observatio 49, De Cicadis Indicis.
• Observatio 52, De Planta Japanica Vinganfana.
• Observatio 53, De Duabus plantis aquaticis Japanensibus Koëbe & Fasnofana.
• Observatio 54, De Canschy & Fiewa Japanensium arboribus.

1689: Decuria II, Annus VII

• Observatio 70, De Plantis Japanensibus Isnoacky, Germ. Eyserholz / & Tsumacky.
• Observatio 71, De Plantis Japanensibus Cumi Gummi & Miaco Bana.
• Observatio 72, De Plantis Japanensibus Kyrama & Fickofax.
• Observatio 73, De Plantis Japanensibus Nifum Schin ‘Srogat, Mominoky & Feggo

1690: Decuria II, Annus VIII

• Observatio 21, De Ceto minore ambrophago.
• Observatio 22, De Monstrosa animalia.
• Observatio 190, De Plantis Japanensibus Mitznofana & Fatasiro.
• Observatio 191, De Floribus Japanensibus Kanako Juri & Jama Juri.
• Observatio 192, De Arboribus Japanensibus Fisakaky & Tsutta.

1691: Decuria II, Annus IX

• Observatio 75, De Plantis Japanensibus Din nanscho & Omodto.
• Observatio 76, De Floribus Japanensibus Vohsnofana & Ghimi.
• Observatio 77, De Arboribus Japanensibus Kutzinèsch & Tobera-Nocky.

1692: Decuria II, Annus X

• Observatio 35, De Opio Aphrodisiaco.
• Observatio 36, De Arboribus Japonensium Itabe & Hambu.
• Observatio 37, De Arbore Camphorifera Japonensium Kusnoky dicta.
• Observatio 38, De Plantis Japonensium Ran & Schoboe.

1695: Decuria III, Annus II

• Observatio 179, De Plantis Japanensibus Jamaran & Decku.
• Observatio 180, De Fruticibus Japanensibus Tzinsinqua & Daniwathas.
• Observatio 181, De Floribus Japanensibus Schinobu & Tzooschinkiku.
• Observatio 182, De Arboribus Japanensibus Meehebii & Insur.

1696: Decuria III, Annus III

• Observatio 118, De Arbore Japonensium Tschooditsoo sive Tschoot-Itzu.
• Observatio 119, De Floribus Japonensium Kuko sive Asangu & Zuri-Jani.
• Observatio 120, De Plantis Japonensium Zumani & Jamiuncka sive Jamamiuncka.

1700: Decuria III, Annus V & VI

• Observatio1, De Plantis Japonensibus Joosie.
• Observatio 2, De Arboribus Japonensibus Gummy & Fiaku Schyqua.
• Observatio 3, De Fruticibus Japonensibus Tsingkikoe & Fana datzibana.