Göran Rothman
Encyclopedia
Göran Rothman (30 November 1739 Husebybruk, Småland
, Sweden
- 3 December 1778 Stockholm
), was a Swedish naturalist, physician and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus
.
, the same school that Carl von Linne attended. Their good relationship dated back to that period. Göran Rothman studied at Uppsala University
from 1757 and graduated under Carl von Linne. On 27 May 1763 he defended a dissertation on the disease Raphania (ergotism
), thought by Linnaeus to be caused by eating bread from freshly harvested grain and wrongly ascribed to the presence of seed of Raphanus raphanistrum L., the common radish.
In 1765 he carried out research on the Åland Islands
and from 1773 to 1776 in Libya
and Tunisia
. On his return he practised as physician in Stockholm
.
He was notable for his translations of Voltaire
(1694–1778) and Alexander Pope
(1688–1744) into Swedish. The plant genus Rothmannia
was named after him by his friend, the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg
. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Rothman when citing
a botanical name
.
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- 3 December 1778 Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
), was a Swedish naturalist, physician and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus
Apostles of Linnaeus
The Apostles of Linnaeus were a group of students who carried out botanical and zoological expeditions throughout the world that were either devised or approved by botanist Carl Linnaeus. The expeditions took place during the latter half of the 18th century and the students were designated...
.
Biography
His father, Johan Stensson Rothman, was a teacher of Logic and Physics at a grammar school in VäxjöVäxjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
, the same school that Carl von Linne attended. Their good relationship dated back to that period. Göran Rothman studied at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
from 1757 and graduated under Carl von Linne. On 27 May 1763 he defended a dissertation on the disease Raphania (ergotism
Ergotism
Ergotism is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, traditionally due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus which infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ergoline-based drugs. It is also known as ergotoxicosis, ergot...
), thought by Linnaeus to be caused by eating bread from freshly harvested grain and wrongly ascribed to the presence of seed of Raphanus raphanistrum L., the common radish.
In 1765 he carried out research on the Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
and from 1773 to 1776 in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. On his return he practised as physician in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
He was notable for his translations of Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
(1694–1778) and Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
(1688–1744) into Swedish. The plant genus Rothmannia
Rothmannia
Rothmannia is a genus of plant in family Rubiaceae. The following incomplete list shows some of the species:* Rothmannia annae Keay* Rothmannia attopevensis* Rothmannia capensis Thunb....
was named after him by his friend, the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg aka Carl Pehr Thunberg aka Carl Per Thunberg was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. He has been called "the father of South African botany" and the "Japanese Linnaeus"....
. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Rothman when citing
Author citation (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
a botanical name
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
.