[Veterinarians of the Zoological Garden 'Natura Artis Magistra' in Amsterdam (ca. 1845-1962]. / Dierenartsen werkzaam in 'Artis' (ca. 1845-1962).

A study in the archives of the Amsterdam Zoological Garden, established in 1838, revealed the names of nine veterinarians during the period under review, who were in charge of the health care of the zoo animals. All of them were in private practice and acted as consultants. Their written inheritance consists of bills for their services and medicines provided, and of the records of 1510 post-mortem examinations, covering the years 1927-1953. Of special interest is a manuscript of J. A. Dekker (1812-1859) that contains 22 of his publications devoted to diseases of zoo animals and other observations. Short biographies of all nine veterinarians are included in order to show how their work for the Zoological Garden, that was only an additional job, was related to their other occupations.

[Veterinary issues in the proceedings of the Amsterdam Agricultural Society, 1776-1832]. / Veterinaire en zoötechnische onderwerpen in de Verhandelingen van de Maatschappij ter Bevordering van den Landbouw te Amsterdam.

The Amsterdam Agricultural Society, founded in 1776, was created by six wealthy gentlemen, well known for the important positions in society held by them. They invested the money earned through trade among others in the acquisition of land, partially newly reclaimed in the surroundings of Amsterdam. As a consequence of the expansion of the population the profitability of agriculture had increased. The merchants and regents knew how to combine business with pleasure. In the second half of the 17th and the first half of the 18th century, they have built about 500 country estates in the surroundings of Amsterdam. Besides the pleasures of country-life, the owners gained a practical interest in agriculture and animal husbandry. Missing practical knowledge in these fields themselves, they felt the moral obligation to contribute to the general welfare of the society by the promotion of new ideas or experiences gained by others. In the first volume of the Proceedings is stated: 'It is beyond question that chemistry, botany, meteorology and the Ars veterinaria are to be considered as the true fundaments of agricultural knowledge'. Inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment and, quite in conformity with the spirit of the time, the establishment of a society was thought to be the answer in order to bring agricultural and thus economical reform. The method used was copied from the learned societies. The members proposed subjects for prize competitions and judged the answers sent in. The crowned answers were the main, but not the only, contents of the Society's Proceedings. The paper analyses the membership (the number of ordinary members decreased from 70 at the start to 56; that of honorary members was stable at about 20; further there were a few orrespondents), and quantifies the distribution of articles in the Proceedings, devoted respectively to agricultural, veterinary and zootechnical subjects. In addition, a detailed list with commentary, of the veterinary and zootechnical subjects published between 1778 and 1825 is presented.

[The life history of Alexander Numan (1780-1852) during his time in Groningen]. / Alexander Numan (1780-1852) in zijn Groningse periode.

Until the time Numan took on his professorship at the newly established Veterinary School in Utrecht in 1822, he had lived in the Province of Groningen. In order to understand why the minister of Public Education appointed a village doctor from the north of the country as professor for the practice of veteriary medicine, and after some years as director of the school, it was felt essential to investigate his earlier life period. The main sources used are two obituaries, resp. written by his son who was a professor of Law at Groningen University, and by his friend prof. Willem Vrolik who was the secretary of the Academy of Science, supplemented by family histories and some archival research. After a short description of his descent, youth adn education follows the main part devoted to his writings, his medical practice and membership of the Provincial Medical Commission and the Commission for Agriculture. In an appendix some genealogical data are presented on the family of his wife and their children. Alexander lost his father, who was a minister of the Reformed Church, when he was ten years old. He received his education in the circle of family members. A brother of his father, also a minister, teached him Greek and Latin. After this uncle had left the province, he lived in the home of another minister who teached him the modern languages. As this man was involved in politics of the Baravian Republic, young Alexander was exposed to many discussions on the polity of the State. After his mother had remarried with a medical doctor, this man, and also his brother who had a medical practice in another part of the province, complemented the education with an introduction in the sciences. Experiences in their dispensaries, where some knowledge of botany and chemistry could be obtained, and discussions when accompanying them on their visits to patients, were decisive in the choice of his profession. Only at the age of twenty he entered the Medical Faculty of Groningen University. Thanks to the elaborate preparatory studies, he was able to finish in three years. In 1804 he defended his thesis on a pharmaceutical subject. Immediately afterwards he set up practice in a village nearby the town of Groningen. He married two years later Catharina Dorothea Star Lichtenvoort, daughter of a wealthy lawyer. They had two children, a son born in 1807, and a daughter, born in 1808. Alexander built a flourishing medical and obstetrical practice, extending over a very large area, he teached apprentices in his dispensary, translated articles and a book by C.W. Hufeland and published case histories from his own practice. Several lectures given at local scientific societies were published. One deal with his thoughts on and experiences with animal magnetism, a topic very much en vogue in those days, especially in the Groningen Medical Faculty. In 1812 his translation of Allenmeines Viehazneibuch by J.N. Rohlwes was published, showing his interest in veterinary matters. As a book appeared not to be satisfatory enough for the needs of the Dutch farmers, he was invited by the board fo the 'Society for Public Welfare' (Maatschappij tot Nut van het Algemeen) to write an adapted version. This handbook (first ed. 1819) would receive many editions throughout the 19th century. This book together with his capacities as a teacher, his broad interests in medical and agricultural affairs, great scientific curiosity and appreciation by colleagues met in the several commissions made him an obvious candidate for the new post in Utrecht. Although he felt it difficult to leave his beloved homeland and terminate his practice, he felt great pride in accepting the post that would give him the opportunity to found a new discipline in his country. To be useful to society was one of the great motives of his life.

Available sources of veterinary biographies useful in compiling contributions for an International Dictionary of Veterinary Biography(IDVB).

In the framework of the WAHVM-project to compile an International Dictionary of Veterinary Biography, two modern tools are described that may assist the contributors to this dictionary in finding references concerning the persons of their choice. The first is the World Biographical Index (WBI), an initiative of K. G. Saur Publishing, that can be consulted in print and online as well. The index covers more than 5000 sources of biographical information of all times and regions of the world. Its 7th online-edition (www.biblio.tu-bs/de/wbi) identifies the works where information can be found on the lives of 4551 veterinarians, for the greater part of the past. The editions are regularly expanded. The second tool is a CD-ROM, published by the WAHVM, with 13.000 references to books, periodical articles and dissertations on veterinary history. More than 40% of these references have biographical relevance. The index on personal names contains more than 2700 names. Both tools are complementary because the source materials differ largely.