Johannes Bohn (20 July 1640 – 19 December 1718) was a German physician who was a native of

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

. He studied medicine at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

and the

University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The university was established in 1558 and is cou ...

, and received his doctorate in 1665. In 1668 he was promoted to the anatomical chair at Leipzig, and in 1690 succeeded

Gottfried Welsch Gottfried Welsch (November 12, 1618 – September 5, 1690) was a German physician born in Leipzig. In 1644 he became a professor of anatomy at the University of Leipzig, and afterwards a professor of physiology (1647), pathology (1662) and thera ...

(1618–1690) as for the city of Leipzig. In 1691 he was appointed

city physician City physician (German language, German: ; , , from Latin ) was a historical title in the Late Middle Ages for a physician appointed by the city council. The city physician was responsible for the health of the population, particularly the poor, ...

, and in 1691 professor of therapeutics. He later held the office of rector at the University of Leipzig (1693–94). Bohn was known for his pioneer work as a medical-legal officer in

forensic medicine Forensic medicine is a broad term used to describe a group of medical specialties which deal with the examination and diagnosis of individuals who have been injured by or who have died because of external or unnatural causes such as poisoning, assa ...

. He introduced the policy of thorough

autopsies An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death; ...

of the deceased, and specialized in the investigation of lethal wounds. He also did early research concerning the

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

of the

circulatory system In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart ...

. Many of Bohn's scientific writings were burned prior to his death, as stipulated in his will. Two of his important medical works that survived are: * * (1689): a medical-legal treatise in which he analyzes the distinction between purposeful and accidental fatal wounds. * * (1710): a series of lectures on respiration, circulation, the digestive process, fetal development, et al.

Principal works

* (Leipzig, 1675). * (Leipzig, 1685). * (Leipzig, 1678). * (Leipzig, 1689). * (Leipzig, 1683). * (Leipzig, 1680). * (Leipzig, 1689). * (Leipzig, 1689).

References

External links

Bohadin
at ''The General biographical dictionary'' (London 1812), pp. 519–520.]
François-Xavier Feller, ''Dictionnaire historique'', p. 366.
1640 births 1718 deaths 17th-century German physicians 18th-century German physicians Academic staff of Leipzig University Rectors of Leipzig University Physicians from Leipzig 17th-century German writers 17th-century German male writers {{Germany-med-bio-stub