Fritz Müller (doctor)

Fritz Müller (actually Friedrich Müller, born May 8, 1834 in Basel, † March 10, 1895 ) was a Swiss physician and zoologist.

Life and work

After initial studies in the humanities and theology, Müller was dedicated in 1852 in human medicine. From 1852 to 1854 he studied at the University of Basel and then in Würzburg and Prague before moving in 1857 graduated as a doctor of medicine. After one and a half years of additional training in Vienna, Berlin and Paris, he returned to Basel and opened his own medical practice. He was an active member of the medical society and Basler 1860 he was one of the founders of the local medical society of which he became president in 1876. In 1872 he gave up his practice and took over for the Basel city council the responsibility for the health check. From 1868 to 1869 he held zoological lectures at the University of Basel, however, were most of his official duties after 1872 regulatory nature. From 1875 he began to work for the Natural History collection Basel. His research involved the Herpetology, crustaceans and spiders. From 1873 Müller was plagued by chronic illness, recovery stays in the Mediterranean during the winter months made ​​it necessary.

Miller few herpetological writings were published in the period 1877-1895. His major work, a catalog of amphibians and reptiles in Basel (1878 ) Natural History Museum, followed by seven Supplement Volumes 1880-1892. An eighth and last volume was written in 1901 by Müller colleagues Ehrenfried leg. In this work, collections are mainly described, which were compiled by Swiss overseas, particularly in tropical countries. Many new taxa have been described by Müller for the first time, including Calotes ceylonensis, Cynisca leonina, Cyrtodactylus fumosus, the Sumatran Cobra (Naja sumatrana ) Nessia sarasinorum, the collar - dwarf snake ( Platyceps collaris ), Pseudorabdion sarasinorum, Rhinoplocephalus bicolor, Scincella inconspicua, Sphenomorphus celebense, Sphenomorphus textum, Stenocercus azureus and the Central American Zwergboa ( Ungaliophis continentalis ). Among the most famous collections include those who made ​​the Swiss naturalist Paul Sarasin and Fritz Sarasin to Ceylon and Celebes. In 1894 Müller wrote his last publication.