José Celestino Mutis

José Celestino Mutis ( born April 6, 1732 in Cadiz, † September 11, 1808 in Bogotá ) was a Spanish botanist and mathematician. Its official botanical author abbreviation is " Mutis ".

Life and work

José Mutis studied in Cádiz medicine with additional courses in physics and botany. The medical exams he took at the University of Seville on May 2, 1755. On 5 July 1757 he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

From 1757 to 1760 he lectured on anatomy in Madrid and undertook botanical studies with the support of the Botanical Garden of Migas Calientes de Madrid as well as further studies of astronomy and mathematics.

After three years he decided to participate as a physician at the American expedition of Pedro Messia de la Cerda. Beginning with his arrival in Santa Fe de Bogota on February 24, 1761, he led an annotated research diary about his observations.

In 1763, Mutis began extensive studies of the flora and fauna of South America, which lasted more than 20 years. Overall, among which were three major botanical expeditions.

Mutis corresponded with Spanish and other European sciences, especially with Carl Linnaeus.

In March 1762, while he held an introductory course in mathematics at the Colegio de Rosario, he explained the basics of the Copernican world system and modern experimental methods in the sciences, which he came into conflict with the Church. In 1774 he defended before the Holy Inquisition, modern science, the Copernican system and the mathematical Naturphilophie. Alexander von Humboldt visited Mutis America during his expedition.

Mutis died at the age of 76 years of pneumonia. It is to his honor today of José Celestino Mutis Jardin Botanico named in Bogotá after him.

Taxonomic ceremony

To him, the genus was named in honor Mutisia L. F. plant sunflower family ( Asteraceae) named.

Article

• Uwe Schwarz: José Celestino Mutis. In: Religion Past and Present. Concise Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Volume 5: L -M. Edited by Hans Dieter Betz, Don S. Browning, Bernd Janowski and Eberhard Jüngel. Mohr Siebeck, ISBN 3-16-146945-3, Tübingen 2002 ( fourth, completely revised edition ), Study Edition UTB, ISBN 978-3-8252-8401-5, Stuttgart 2008