Johann Gerhard König
Encyclopedia
Johann Gerhard König was a Baltic German botanist and physician
.
He was born near Kreutzburg in Polish Livonia, which is now Krustpils in Latvia
. He was a private pupil of Carolus Linnaeus
in 1757, and lived in Denmark
from 1759 to 1767. From 1773 to 1785, he worked as a naturalist
for the Nawab of Arcot in India
. He was in Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) with the Danish trade mission from 1773 to 1785.
In 1773, he received the Doctor's degree in absentia
from the University of Copenhagen
. As naturalist to the Nawab of Arcot he embarked on a voyage to the mountains north of Madras and to Ceylon, a description of which was later published in a Danish scientific journal. In 1778, König was transferred to a post with the British East India Company
where he remained until his death, undertaking several scientific journeys and working with notable scientists like William Roxburgh
, Johann Christian Fabricius and Sir Joseph Banks
. Perhaps the most notable of those journeys was to Thailand and the Malacca Straits in 1778-80. He met Patrick Russell
who arrived in India in 1782 at Tranquebar and remained in constant communication.
He made trips to the hills near Vellore and Ambur and in 1776 he made a trip to the Nagori hills with George Campbell. In 1784 he visited Claud Russell at Vizagapatnam on his way to Calcutta. On the way he suffered from dysentery and Roxburgh who was at Samalkota visited him. He however did not recover and died at Jagrenatporumin Kakinada,Andhrapradesh in 1785. He bequeathed his papers to Sir Joseph Banks.
He described many plants used in Indian Medicine
.
The plant genus Koenigia
was named for him by Linnaeus, as was a species of curry-leaf tree Murraya koenigii.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
.
He was born near Kreutzburg in Polish Livonia, which is now Krustpils in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. He was a private pupil of Carolus Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
in 1757, and lived in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
from 1759 to 1767. From 1773 to 1785, he worked as a naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
for the Nawab of Arcot in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was in Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) with the Danish trade mission from 1773 to 1785.
In 1773, he received the Doctor's degree in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
from the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
. As naturalist to the Nawab of Arcot he embarked on a voyage to the mountains north of Madras and to Ceylon, a description of which was later published in a Danish scientific journal. In 1778, König was transferred to a post with the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
where he remained until his death, undertaking several scientific journeys and working with notable scientists like William Roxburgh
William Roxburgh
William Roxburgh was a Scottish surgeon and botanist. He has been called the Father of Indian Botany.-Early life:Roxburgh was born at Underwood in the parish of Craigie, Ayrshire. He studied medicine in Edinburgh...
, Johann Christian Fabricius and Sir Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
. Perhaps the most notable of those journeys was to Thailand and the Malacca Straits in 1778-80. He met Patrick Russell
Patrick Russell (herpetologist)
Patrick Russell was a Scottish surgeon and naturalist who worked in India. He studied the snakes of India and is considered the 'Father of Indian Ophiology'. The Russell's viper, Daboia russelii, is named after him.He was born in Edinburgh to John Russell as the half-brother of Alexander Russell,...
who arrived in India in 1782 at Tranquebar and remained in constant communication.
He made trips to the hills near Vellore and Ambur and in 1776 he made a trip to the Nagori hills with George Campbell. In 1784 he visited Claud Russell at Vizagapatnam on his way to Calcutta. On the way he suffered from dysentery and Roxburgh who was at Samalkota visited him. He however did not recover and died at Jagrenatporumin Kakinada,Andhrapradesh in 1785. He bequeathed his papers to Sir Joseph Banks.
He described many plants used in Indian Medicine
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
.
The plant genus Koenigia
Koenigia
Koenigia is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about seven species. These include:*Koenigia islandica - Iceland Purslane....
was named for him by Linnaeus, as was a species of curry-leaf tree Murraya koenigii.