Johann Albert Heinrich Reimarus

Johann Albert Heinrich Reimarus (* November 11, 1729 in Hamburg, † June 6, 1814 in Rantzau Holstein ) was a Hamburg physician, naturalist and economist. Among his accomplishments is the introduction of smallpox vaccination in Hamburg and the "import" of the lightning conductor from England to the European continent.

Life

Reimarus was the son of Hermann Samuel Reimarus and brother of the writer Elise Reimarus. His father was the author of the Wolfenbüttel'schen fragments and a friend of Lessing, his mother Johanna Friederike was a daughter of Johann Albert Fabricius. His daughter Johanna from his first marriage was the wife of Georg Heinrich Sieveking. In his second marriage he was with Sophia, sister of August Adolph von Hennings, married.

From 1745 on, he attended high school and should be according to the wishes of his father prepare for studies of jurisprudence. However, he decided in 1752 to study the " Arzeneiwissenschaft " at the Georg- August University in Göttingen. In 1753 he went to Leiden (The Netherlands ) where he also attended lectures in physics and botany in addition to lectures of medicine. The acquaintance with Englishmen studying there led him in 1754 to go to England to study anatomy. Together with Erasmus Darwin, James Keir and other students founded a society from which the Edinburgische medical society came into being afterwards. With Darwin Reimarus 1755 went to London and studied at the anatomist William Hunter and James Douglas. There he learned the smallpox vaccination know.

In 1756 he went back to Holland, visited various cities and received his doctorate on 29 April 1757 at the University of Leiden ( Diss de tumors ligamentorum about articulos fungo articulorum dicto ). Then he went back to Hamburg and settled as a physician. On 30 January 1759, he was the marriage with Anna Marie Thorbecke, but already died in 1762. From this marriage was born a son who died in 1785 at the spotted fever and a daughter. From his second marriage four children were born. Already 84 years old, he was forced in 1813 to emigrate because of the Napoleonic Wars. He found refuge in August Adolph von Hennings, Administrator of Rantzau. There he died on June 6, 1814.

1808 appointed him the Bavarian Academy of Sciences corresponding member.

Writings (selection )

As editor

• Hermann Samuel Reimarus: general considerations about the instincts of animals, mainly about her art shoots ..., Hamburg 1760-1773.

Independent writings