Five Early American Botanists: Works and Opinions of Rafinesque Charles T

University of Kentucky UKnowledge Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications Genetics

Fall 2010 Five Early American Botanists: Works and Opinions of Rafinesque Charles T. Ambrose University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits oy u.

Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/microbio_facpub Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, and the Medical Humanities Commons

Repository Citation Ambrose, Charles T., "Five Early American Botanists: Works and Opinions of Rafinesque" (2010). Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications. 61. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/microbio_facpub/61

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Five Early American Botanists: Works and Opinions of Rafinesque

Notes/Citation Information Published in Transylvania Treasures, v. 3, no. 2, p. 6-7.

© 2010 Transylvania University

The opc yright holder has granted the permission for posting the article here.

This article is available at UKnowledge: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/microbio_facpub/61 by Charles T. Ambrose ,

~~ t:~ 1~~ J/J~~~ ORKS AND OPINIONS OF RAFINESQUE

onstantine Samuel bare-face liar," deranged, "an Benjamin Smith Barton, taught the rudiments of Rafinesque unprincipled charlatan," and M.D., 1766-1815, taught flower structure to John C (1783-1840) was others. botany and natural history Torrey, the young son of the Professor of Botany and at the University of prison's fiscal agent (see Thomas Nuttall, 1786- Natural History (Zoology) Pennsylvania and published below). On his release, 1859, was an English l at Transylvania University the first American hand­ Eaton took classes in naturalist who explored the from 1819 to 1826. Of the book of botany, Elements of botany, chemistry, and regions around the Great dozen or so well recognized Botany, 1803. (See second mineralogy at Yale College Lakes and along the American botanists of the edition, 1812.) Although and later lectured on these Missouri River in 1801-12. early nineteenth century, he Barton lived before the subjects at Williams was the most colorful and He collected many plant controversial period of College. In 1817 he pub­ controversial. This essay specimens, some of which Rafinesque's career (after lished his Manual of Botany notes five of his fellow had been identified by 1819), they shared common for the North America, which botanists whose works are Lewis and Clark in 1804-06 interests beyond botany. went through eight editions. included in Transylvania's but were lost in transit. Both studied American (See Transylvania's fifth and Special Collections and Nuttall lived in England Indian tribes and ancient sixth editions, 1829 and quotes the opinions of during the War of 1812, Indian ruins. Barton 1833.) In Troy, New York, Rafinesque that they held. returned to the U.S. in correctly attributed the he co-founded the Most of the book titles cited 1815, and published The prehistoric mounds in Ohio Rensselaer School (now below are in the Special Genera of North American to Native American mound Rensselaer Polytechnic Collections. Plants in 1818. The Special builders and speculated that Institute), which during the Collections has only Rafinesque lived in the U.S. they predated the Biblical early nineteenth century Nuttall's An introduction to during two periods, 1802- chronology of mankind. rivaled London as a center systematic and physiological 05 and 1815-40. His most for geological studies. significant work is the two­ botany, 1827. His corre­ Amos Eaton, 1776-1842, volume Medical Flora (1828, spondence contains a letter was a lawyer and surveyor In 1818 Eaton complained 1830). He was an insatiable from an older botanist who who, during a land dispute about the deluge of new field botanist who discov­ complained that Rafinesque in the Catskills, was accused plant species names submit­ ered thousands of new plant gives superficial descriptions of forgery and imprisoned ted by Rafinesque: "What species and submitted such of plants and "makes a genus for nearly five years in the is the matter with a flood of papers with new where hardly a species can New York State Prison. Rafinesque? ... We are not Linnaean names that in be made." 1 (Page 157) During this period he stud- amused with the usual 1819 the editor of the · - --~- ied botany and quantity of the new names American j ournal of Science geology and in and wonderful acts of Mr. refused his further submis­ 1806 R. written by himself .. sions. Fellow naturalists His name is absolutely questioned his credibility becoming a substitute for and even his sanity. Critical, egotism."When Eaton caustic comments about finally met Rafinesque in him that circulated in the 1816, he conceded, "He is a private correspondence of Books by nineteenth-century botanists American botanists Thomas Nuttall, Benjamin Smith Barton, Amos Eaton, fohn Torrey, and Asa Gray included "that rattle headed are in the Transylvania Special genius," a rogue, "a most Collections. They all expressed opinions about Transylvania Botany Professor Constantine Rafinesque. curious Frenchman. I am much pleased Torrey was with him; though particularly he has many queer annoyed with notions."1 (Page 161) Rafinesque's John Torrey, M.D., persistent 1796-1873, whom discussion of Eaton introduced to "perpetual mutabil­ botany by age 10 at ity."1 (Page 163) the New York State he began a Yet with this idea Prison, became an professorship at Rafinesque anticipated assiduous collector Harvard and over the next by several decades a of plants. He 30 years developed its major part of Darwin's graduated from renowned herbarium. theory of evolution by the College of natural selection, i.e., the oon after Physicians and continual emergence of Rafinesque's death in Surgeons in 1818 but ridiculed- his vanity is new species. 3 It might be 1840, Gray forsook medicine for field absolutely intolerable." S said that Rafinesque was examined his papers and botany. On the morning of In 1831 he wrote an driven by great energy and published a critical review his wedding day in 1824 he American friend that enthusiasm, but that his of his work in the American wrote the last pages of A "Old Rafinesque is here­ reputation was destroyed by Journal of Science, whose he talked me into a violent the impatience of his Flora of the Northern and earlier editor had rejected headache today... he knows Middle Section of the United Rafinesque's submissions. genius. 'IT a great deal about plants States. He is notable for Gray characterized him as and other matters- but replacing Linnaeus' sexual "an author... greatly in system in plant classification will never advance science advance of the other writers Charles T Ambrose is a with the natural method a single step."To a Swiss on the botany of this coun­ Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, involving all plant struc­ botanist he wrote that try... [and] a botanist of and Molecular Genetics at the tures, which Rafinesque Rafinesque's works "are unusual promise, but whose University of Kentucky College so full of errors, that had long favored. Torrey is defects in his later years of Medicine. In recent years, generally viewed as most they are seldom consulted have caused even his early he has published widely on responsible for making or quoted by our writings to be in a great medical history. botany a remunerative naturalists ... "1 (Pages 163-4) measure disregarded." Asa Gray, M.D., 1810-88, Gray noted a "gradual dete­ profession in the nineteenth 1. R. L. Stuckey, "Opinions of abandoned medicine early rioration'' in his botanical Rafinesque Expressed by His American century. Just as Eaton had Botanical Contemporanes" in C. Boewe ed.: Profiles ofRafinesque, 2003, instructed him in botany, in his career, like Torrey, and writings after 1819, "when pp. 1541 -178. the passion for establishing so Torrey befriended and began his study of botany 2. A. Gray: "Notice of the botanical new genera and species, writings of the late C.S. Rafmesque " influenced Asa Gray, the under him in 1831. In 1836 American journal of Science & Art, 1S41; 40: 221-241. final botanist in this essay. he published Elements of appears to have become a complete monomania... 3. C. T. Ambrose, "Darwin's historical Botany, which subsequently sketch- an American predecessor: C. Torrey criticized "Rafinesque's S.Rafinesgue," Archives ofNatural went through many editions [No consideration] what­ History, 2010,37: 191-202. mania for new species" and under various titles. In 1838 ever is due to his subsequent 2 commented that "Raf. cer­ he co-authored with Torrey works." tainly deserves to be Flora of N orth America. In

VoL. III, No.2, FALL2010