Herman Kaau-Boerhaave

Herman Kaau-Boerhaave also: Hermann Kaauw, Cau, Kaav ; Russian Герман Каау-Бургав (born September 27, 1705 in Haag , † October 7, 1753 in Moscow ) was a Dutch medic.

Life

Abraham was the son of the Hague doctor Jakob Kaau (born June 21, 1658 in The Hague; † August 25, 1728 ibid) and his wife Magdalena Boerhaven, who was married on March 21, 1701 (born April 21, 1667 in Voorhout; † 11 June 1720 in Leiden). Thus he was an older brother of Abraham Kaau-Boerhaave . He was baptized on October 11, 1705. He received his first training in The Hague and from his father. At the age of twenty he enrolled as a student of medicine on September 16, 1723 at the University of Leiden . Here his uncle Herman Boerhaave became his formative teacher. On April 20, 1729 he received his doctorate in medicine on the subject of de argento vivo . Herman became the heir to his uncle's scientific estate, and his adoption gave him the surname Boerhaave.

Then he settled in The Hague, where he took over a pharmacy. Unfortunately, his business activities were far from going well. He accumulated debts and after his bankruptcy even had to flee from his debtors to Vienna . Here he opened a doctor's practice and largely tried to pay off the debts with their income. On the recommendation of the doctor António Nunes Ribeiro Sanches , he received the post of court doctor in St. Petersburg in 1740. In 1744 he was appointed the real Council of State with a salary of 4,000 rubles. After Jean Armand de Lestocq (1692–1767) had been released from his duties at the Russian court, he received what was then the highest medical official position in Russia from Tsarina Elisabeth . On December 7th, 1748, Herman was awarded the title of Privy Councilor, he became the personal physician (archiatrist) of the Empress and director of the medical office. For this received a salary of 7000 rubles. After falling seriously ill in 1751, he died on a visit to the court in Moscow. On October 11, 1753, he was buried in the vault of the old Dutch church. His grave was reburied on May 20, 1815 in the Moscow churchyard.

His breast tea ( Species pectorales Boerhaavii ) and his breast sugar ( Sacch. Boerhavii ) were available as home remedies in Russian pharmacies until the 19th century. He hardly appeared through writings, but was rather successful in the field of practical medicine. A treatise on eye diseases that was edited by Albrecht von Haller in 1759 should be mentioned here .

Kaau-Boerhaave was married twice. His first marriage was on November 3, 1731 in The Hague with Alida Jacoba Coelemey († March 23, 1738). The daughter Margaretha Hermina (born July 10, 1734 in The Hague, died July 20, 1734 there) comes from the marriage and married the physician Karl Friedrich Kruse. His second marriage was Kaau Boerhaave on January 26, 1739 in The Hague with Wendelina Maria Noebeling († April 23, 1742), who died on the trip to St. Petersburg.

literature

• Maximilian von Heine . The Archiatrists of Russia . In: Medicinische Zeitung Russlands , Petersburg , 4th year (1847), pp. 238–239 (digitized version )
• August Hirsch , Ernst Gurlt: Biographical lexicon of the outstanding doctors of all times and peoples. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Vienna and Leipzig, 1886, Vol. 3, p. 436 ( digitized version )
• Wilhelm Michael von Richter: History Of Medicin In Russia. NS Wsewolojsky, Moscow 1817, Vol. 3, pp. 424–427 ( online )
• Bram Oldenhuis Arwert: Abraham en Herman Kaau Boerhaave. Hoe een erfenis ze aan de medische top van Rusland brought. Almelo, 2001 ( Online , Dutch)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ WN du Rieu: Album Studiosorum Academiae Lugduno Batavae MDLXXV - MDCCCLXXV. Martin Nijhoff, The Hague, 1925, col. 888
2. ^ Philipp Christiaan Molhuysen : Album Promotorum Academiae Lugdono Batavae. The Hague, 1913-1924, p. 223
3. ↑ MG Wildeman: Potretten van Prof. Herman Boerhaave, van Zijne Zusters Magdalena Margaretha de en van zijn Neef Prof. Abraham Cau Boerhaave. In: Oude Kunst IV. Jaboom, Haarlem, 1919, p. 80 f.