Étienne Fiacre Louis Raoul
Encyclopedia
Étienne Fiacre Louis Raoul (23 July 1815–30 March 1852) was a French naval surgeon and naturalist.
He was born in Brest
, the son of a captain in the French Navy
, and studied at the medical school in Brest. He was appointed surgeon, third class, in 1836. He took part in an expedition on the ship L'Aube under the command of Lieutenant Lavaud. He landed at the Bay of Islands
in New Zealand
on 11 July 1840, and departed three years later aboard L'Allier.
After returning to Paris
, he worked at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
(National Museum of Natural History) under the direction of Adolphe Brongniart (1801–1876) and Joseph Decaisne
(1807–1882) to describe and classify the large number of specimens collected during his stay in New Zealand. At the same time, he studied medicine and obtained his doctorate in 1844 with the thesis Des rapports des maladies aigües et chroniques du cœur avec les affections dites rhumatismales ("Reports of acute and chronic coronary diseases with rheumatic ailments").
In 1846 he published a book Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande ("Selected plants of New Zealand") with Fertin and Masson. After a short expedition to Africa in 1846, he became medical professor at the port of Brest in 1849. In 1851 he published Guide hygiénique et médical pour les bâtiments de commerce qui fréquentent la Côte Occidentale d’Afrique ("Sanitary and medical guide for merchant vessels visiting the West Coast of Africa").
The genus Raoulia
was named after him by Joseph Dalton Hooker
.
He was born in Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, the son of a captain in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, and studied at the medical school in Brest. He was appointed surgeon, third class, in 1836. He took part in an expedition on the ship L'Aube under the command of Lieutenant Lavaud. He landed at the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 11 July 1840, and departed three years later aboard L'Allier.
After returning to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he worked at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
(National Museum of Natural History) under the direction of Adolphe Brongniart (1801–1876) and Joseph Decaisne
Joseph Decaisne
Joseph Decaisne was a French botanist and agronomist.Although he was born in Brussels, Belgium, he exercised his activity exclusively in Paris...
(1807–1882) to describe and classify the large number of specimens collected during his stay in New Zealand. At the same time, he studied medicine and obtained his doctorate in 1844 with the thesis Des rapports des maladies aigües et chroniques du cœur avec les affections dites rhumatismales ("Reports of acute and chronic coronary diseases with rheumatic ailments").
In 1846 he published a book Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande ("Selected plants of New Zealand") with Fertin and Masson. After a short expedition to Africa in 1846, he became medical professor at the port of Brest in 1849. In 1851 he published Guide hygiénique et médical pour les bâtiments de commerce qui fréquentent la Côte Occidentale d’Afrique ("Sanitary and medical guide for merchant vessels visiting the West Coast of Africa").
The genus Raoulia
Raoulia
Raoulia is a genus of flowering alpine plants in the daisy family that exhibit very fine and dense growths. These compact growths form large amorphous cushion-like masses with only the growing tips visible. Due to their shape and form, the plant clusters resembles sheep from afar, this giving them...
was named after him by Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
.