Bojanus, Ludwig Henryk

Born July 7, 1776, in Buschweiler, Alsace; died Apr. 2, 1827, in Darmstadt. Anatomist and zoologist; one of the founders of veterinary education in Russia. Graduated in 1797 from the medical school of the University of Jena.

In 1806, by invitation of the University of Vilnius, Bojanus became the chairman of the school of “livestock medicine.” He was the first to describe the organ of secretion (kidney) of the lamellibranchia mollusk (Bojanus organ), but he erroneously identified it as the lung. He studied equine anatomy and embryology and contagious animal diseases (anthrax, plague, and others). He established zoological and zootomical departments at the University of Vilnius, created the first helminthological collection in Russia, developed a curriculum, and introduced a program of veterinary studies. Bojanus’ basic works were in embryology, zoology, medicine, veterinary science, and zootechnology.