John Berkenhout
John Berkenhout (born July 8, 1726 in Yorkshire , † April 3, 1791 ) was an English medic, naturalist and writer.
Live and act
The father John Berkenhout sen. had settled in Yorkshire with his wife, Anne Kitchingman. The son John Berkenhout went to Leeds Grammar School and served in the Prussian and English armies before graduating from the universities of Edinburgh and Leyden . He received his doctorate in medicine in 1765. In Edinburgh he published the work "Clavis Anglicat Linguae" and other works on natural history. He served as a British agent during the American Revolutionary War.
In his works he was the first to describe the brown rat in 1769 and not the more famous Carl von Linné . He gave her the name Mus norvegicus ("Norwegian mouse"); In 1821 it was put into a new genus Rattus by JE Gray together with the black rat (described by Linné as Mus rattus ) .
Works
- Clavis Anglicae Linguae
- Outlines of the Natural History of Great Britain and Ireland (1769)
- Synopsis of the Natural History of Great Britain and Ireland (1789)
- First lines of the theory and practice of philosophical chemistry . London: Cadell, 1788
- A volume of letters from Dr. Berkenhout to his son at the university . London: Cadell 1790
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Berkenhout, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English medic and naturalist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 8, 1726 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Yorkshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 3, 1791 |