David Hosack
David Hosack (born August 31, 1769 in New York , † December 22, 1835 ) was an American doctor and botanist . He founded the United States' first medicinal botanical garden , the Elgin Botanic Garden .
Life
David Hosack studied at Kings College, later Columbia University , and at Princeton . In 1789 he completed his first degree. He received his medical training at the University of Pennsylvania . He then practiced briefly in Alexandria, Virginia and New York before moving to Europe for further studies. He studied further at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland . There his interest in botany was aroused, which brought him into contact with William Curtis . He trained in London's Brompton Botanic Garden and at the Linnean Society , among other things, he benefited from the knowledge of the Joseph Bank . Returned to New York in 1794, he began teaching botany and pharmacy at Columbia College , where he shared a practice with Samuel Bard . He soon became known, among other things for his successes in the treatment of yellow fever patients , and cared for numerous members of the New York upper class. Among other things, he was the family doctor of the Hamilton family and stood by both Alexander Hamilton and his son Philip after they had suffered fatal injuries in duels. Alexander Hamilton's opponent in the duel, Aaron Burr, also trusted Hosack's medical advice. In 1810, Hosack was elected to the American Philosophical Society and in 1815 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . Since 1817 he was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .
David Hosack died of complications from a stroke . His son Alexander Eddy Hosack , who was born in 1805 and had also become a doctor, took over the patient Burr, among others. Alexander Hosack's widow, Celine B. Hosack, bequeathed $ 70,000 to the New York Academy of Medicine in 1885 for the construction of a new building or classroom. From 1890 to 1926, Hosack Hall was located on West 43rd street. After the move, another lecture hall was named after Hosack.
The Elgin Botanic Garden
In 1801, Hosack founded the Elgin Botanic Garden on 5th Avenue between 47th and 51th street, which was used by medical students from Columbia College, among others, because he had not found any support at college or from New York State. Great 19th century botanists such as Amos Eaton , John Torrey, and Asa Gray did research at the Elgin Botanic Garden. Within a decade, a collection of over 1,500 plant species was created. Some of the holdings in the botanical garden came from the Lewis and Clark expeditions. Hosack was unable to keep the internationally admired botanical garden long because of the high maintenance costs. As early as 1810 he was forced to sell it. The facility was first owned by New York, and later by Columbia College. Despite all of Hosack's efforts to keep the botanical garden in a usable condition even after it was sold, the college decided not to maintain the facility. The Rockefeller Center is located on the grounds of the Elgin Botanic Garden . Remnants of his planting are in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Johanna Goldberg, Dr. David Hosack, Physician to Hamilton and Burr , Jan. 21, 2016 at nyamcenterforhistory.org
- ↑ a b Samantha D'Acunto, Eden of the Republic: The Rise, Fall, and Legacy of David Hosack's Elgin Botanic Garden , April 26, 2016 at www.nybg.org
- ^ Member History: David Hosack. American Philosophical Society, accessed October 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Book of Members 1780 – present, Chapter H. (PDF; 1.2 MB) In: American Academy of Arts and Sciences (amacad.org). Retrieved October 14, 2017 (English).
- ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF file) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed December 22, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hosack, David |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American physician and botanist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 31, 1769 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | new York |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 22, 1835 |