of the main figures in eighteenth-century Swedish medicine. Bäck [4] was born in
Söderhamn in 1713. After the Russian raids of the Swedish coast in 1720, Bäck
grew up with his uncle. His initial intention was to become a priest, but after
witnessing an anatomical demonstration, he turned to medicine, becoming one of
Rosén’s students. He defended his inaugural thesis on tuberculosis in 1740, after
which he undertook a European journey 1741–1745, visiting the Netherlands,
England, France and Germany. With recommendation letters from Linnaeus, all
doors were open. After returning to Sweden, he unsuccessfully applied for several
professorships but became auscultator at Collegium medicum, court physician to
Adolph Frederick
1 in 1749 and received a Professor’s title. In 1752, he became the
President of Collegium medicum, a position he held for over 40 years. He died in
1795.
Scheele also became acquainted with botanist and physician Peter Johan Bergius,
[5] who was born in the province of Småland in 1730. An orphan at a young age, he
still had the opportunity to study at Lund University (from 1746) and Uppsala
University (from 1749). He studied under Linnaeus and Rosén, obtaining his M.D.
degree in 1754. Bergius became one of the most popular physicians in Stockholm,
being appointed professor of natural history and pharmacy in 1761 and becoming
auscultator at Collegium medicum in 1766. He published a large number of papers in
the Transactions of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, being a member since
1758. He died in 1790. His older brother, Bengt Bergius (1723–1784), was an
accomplished historian, also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Among Scheele’s other friends from Stockholm was physician David von
Schulzenheim, born in the province of Dalarna in 1732 [6]. Before his ennoblement in
1770, he was called Schultz, and was an uncle of Scheele’s friends Johan Gottlieb
Gahn (Sect. 13.1) and Henric Gahn. David von Schulzenheim began his studies at the
University of Königsberg in 1747, but moved to Uppsala in 1751, where he studied
under Rosén von Rosenstein and Linnaeus. He obtained his doctoral degree in 1754
and undertook a European journey, during which he studied the new technique of
inoculation against smallpox in England, a knowledge he brought to Sweden. He
returned to Sweden in 1756, becoming auscultator in Collegium medicum in 1765. In
1778, he unexpectedly retired from all his positions and became a farmer. His growing
dissatisfaction with the politics of Gustav III’s Sweden was most likely the reason. He
died in 1823.
Scheele’s new friends were all connected to the Royal Swedish Academy of
Sciences and Collegium medicum, while there is no evidence of any connections
between Scheele and the chemists at the Board of Mines, for example, von
Engeström, during his years in Stockholm [7].
1
The heir of the Swedish throne.
10 Scheele Moves to Stockholm
155
Söderhamn in 1713. After the Russian raids of the Swedish coast in 1720, Bäck
grew up with his uncle. His initial intention was to become a priest, but after
witnessing an anatomical demonstration, he turned to medicine, becoming one of
Rosén’s students. He defended his inaugural thesis on tuberculosis in 1740, after
which he undertook a European journey 1741–1745, visiting the Netherlands,
England, France and Germany. With recommendation letters from Linnaeus, all
doors were open. After returning to Sweden, he unsuccessfully applied for several
professorships but became auscultator at Collegium medicum, court physician to
Adolph Frederick
1 in 1749 and received a Professor’s title. In 1752, he became the
President of Collegium medicum, a position he held for over 40 years. He died in
1795.
Scheele also became acquainted with botanist and physician Peter Johan Bergius,
[5] who was born in the province of Småland in 1730. An orphan at a young age, he
still had the opportunity to study at Lund University (from 1746) and Uppsala
University (from 1749). He studied under Linnaeus and Rosén, obtaining his M.D.
degree in 1754. Bergius became one of the most popular physicians in Stockholm,
being appointed professor of natural history and pharmacy in 1761 and becoming
auscultator at Collegium medicum in 1766. He published a large number of papers in
the Transactions of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, being a member since
1758. He died in 1790. His older brother, Bengt Bergius (1723–1784), was an
accomplished historian, also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Among Scheele’s other friends from Stockholm was physician David von
Schulzenheim, born in the province of Dalarna in 1732 [6]. Before his ennoblement in
1770, he was called Schultz, and was an uncle of Scheele’s friends Johan Gottlieb
Gahn (Sect. 13.1) and Henric Gahn. David von Schulzenheim began his studies at the
University of Königsberg in 1747, but moved to Uppsala in 1751, where he studied
under Rosén von Rosenstein and Linnaeus. He obtained his doctoral degree in 1754
and undertook a European journey, during which he studied the new technique of
inoculation against smallpox in England, a knowledge he brought to Sweden. He
returned to Sweden in 1756, becoming auscultator in Collegium medicum in 1765. In
1778, he unexpectedly retired from all his positions and became a farmer. His growing
dissatisfaction with the politics of Gustav III’s Sweden was most likely the reason. He
died in 1823.
Scheele’s new friends were all connected to the Royal Swedish Academy of
Sciences and Collegium medicum, while there is no evidence of any connections
between Scheele and the chemists at the Board of Mines, for example, von
Engeström, during his years in Stockholm [7].
1
The heir of the Swedish throne.
10 Scheele Moves to Stockholm
155