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Dr. Ernst Freiherr von Bibra (* June 9, 1806 in Schwebheim; † June 5 1878 in Nuremberg) was a German Naturalist (Natural history scientist) and author. Schwebheim is a municipality in the district of Schweinfurt in Bavaria, Germany. Natural history is the Scientific research of Plants or Animals leaning more towards the Observational than Experimental methods Ernst was many things including a botanist, zoologist, metallurgist, chemist, geographer, travel writer, novelist, duellist, art collector and trailblazer in ethnopsychopharmacology.

Contents

Biography

Ernst's father, Ferdinand Johann von Bibra, (*1756; † 1807), fought under General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur Rochambeau in the American Revolutionary War on behalf of the colonies. For other Bibra entries go to Bibra disambiguation page The Imperial Knight Bibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau ( July 1, 1725 &ndash May 10, 1807) was a French In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Later he married his brother's daughter, Lucretia Wilhelmine Caroline von Bibra,(1778. For other Bibra entries go to Bibra disambiguation page The Imperial Knight Bibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia + 1857). Ernst's father died when he was 1 1/2 years old and Baron Christoph Franz von Hutton (d. 1830) raised Ernst in Würzburg. He graduated at nineteen from a boarding school in Neuberg on the Danube. Baron Ernst von Bibra started studying law at Würzburg but soon changed over to the natural sciences, especially chemistry. For other Bibra entries go to Bibra disambiguation page The Imperial Knight Bibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia Würzburg (ˈvʏɐ̯ʦbʊɐ̯k is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany Martin Haseneier, in his Foreword to the 1995 translation Plant Intoxicants relates that Ernst fought in no less than 49 duels as a young man! Six of his works have been reprinted in recent years. As practiced from the 11th to 20th centuries in Western societies a duel is an engagement in combat between two individuals with matched weapons in accordance with their combat

He produced: Chemical Research on Various Varieties of Pus (Berlin 1842); Chemical Research on the Bones and Teeth of Humans and Other Vertebrates (Schweinfurt 1844) and Helpful Tables for the Recognition of the Substances of Zoological Chemistry (Erlangen 1846). Pus is a whitish-yellow yellow or yellow-brown substance produced during Inflammatory responses of the body that can be found in regions of Pyogenic bacterial Then in cooperation with Geist he published: Investigations of the Diseases of the Workers in the Phosphorus Match Factories (Erlangen 1847) as well as with Harleß The Events of the Investigations of the Effects of Sulphur Fumes (Erlangen 1847). After he had published Chemical Fragments Concerning the Liver and Gall-Bladder (Branschweig 1849), he went to Brazil and around Cape Horn. He reported on this trip in his Trips in South America (Mannheim 1854, 2 vols. ). After his return he lived mostly in Nuremberg where he also set up his rich collections of natural history ethnographics and died on the 5th of June 1878. Ethnography ( Greek ethnos = people and graphein = writing is a genre of writing that uses Fieldwork to provide a descriptive Here he published Comparative Investigations of the Human Brain and Those of Other Vertebrates (Mannheim 1854); The Narcotic Substances of Enjoyment and the Human Being (Nuremberg 1855); Bread and the Various Grains (Nuremberg 1860); Coffee and its Substitute (Reports at the Meetings of the Academy of Sciences in Munich, 1858); The Bronze and Copper Alloys of the Old and Most Ancient Peoples (Erlangen 1869) and Concerning Old Discoveries of Iron and Silver (Nuremberg 1873).

Ernst work on narcotics is his most famous and was recently translated into English and publish under the name of Plant Intoxicants. The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden causing loss (ISBN 0-89281-498-5). This was one of the first books to examine the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of the world’s major stimulants and inebriants. Stimulant drugs are Drugs that temporarily increase alertness and awareness The book includes seventeen chapters : 1) coffee, 2)coffee leaves as a beverage 3) tea, 4) Paraguayan Tea (yerba maté), 5) Guarana, 6) chocolate, 7) Fahan Tea (the orchid Angraecum fragrans Thouars as a source of coumarin), 8) Khat, 9) Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) opiate derived from the "poison lettuce,"10) thornapple, 11) coca, 12) opium, 13) Lactucarium 14) hashish, 15) tobacco 16) betel and 17) arsenous acid or arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)). CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market Guarana ( Portuguese guaraná) (ɡu̯ara'na or) Paullinia cupana ( syn Chocolate ( pronounced or /-ˈələt/ comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical Cacao tree Coumarin is a Chemical compound ( Benzopyrone) a Toxin found in many Plants notably in high concentration in the Tonka bean, KHAT (1210 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Sports format Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly Amanita is a poisonous and Psychoactive Basidiomycete Fungus, Jimsonjade, known by the Common names jimson weed, ditch weed, Good weed, loco weed, Korean morning glory Not to be confused with Cocoa. Coca is a Plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to north-western South America Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( Lactucarium is the milky fluid secreted by several species of Lettuce, especially Lactuca virosa, usually from the base of the stems Hashish (from Arabic: ar حشيش, lit "grass" also hash) is a preparation of cannabis composed of the compressed Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. The Betel ( Piper betle) is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family which includes pepper and Kava) Arsenous acid, also known as arsenious acid, is the Hydrolyzed form of Arsenic trioxide and has the formula As(OH3 Because of Ernst's early investigation and writing on coffee, he is occasionally referenced in modern coffee literature.

Starting with travel sketches and culturally historic descriptions rendered in novelistic style (Memories of South America, Leipzig 1861, 3 vols. ; About Chile, Peru and Brazil, Leipzig 1862, 3 vols. and others) von Bibra preferred to busy himself in his later years with fictional works and developed an astonishing fruitfulness in this field. Of these writings which stand out especially because of successful characterizations and descriptions of beautiful landscapes we mention: A Jewel (Leipzig 1863); A Woman with a Noble Heart (Ein edles Frauenherz was featured in a broadcast August 26, 2006 reading and concert)(2nd ed. , Jena 1869); The Adventures of a Young Peruvian in Germany (Jena 1870); The Nine Stations of Mr. von Scherenberg (2nd ed. Jena 1880); The Children of the Rogue:(Nuremberg 1872); Brave Women (Jena 1876. )

von Bibra Family

Main article: von Bibra

Ernst was a member of the aristocratic Franconian von Bibra family which among its members were Lorenz von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia (1459-1519), Lorenz’ half brother, Wilhelm von Bibra Papal emissary, Conrad von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia (1490-1544) and Heinrich von Bibra, Prince-Bishop, Prince-Abbot of Fulda (1711-1788). For other Bibra entries go to Bibra disambiguation page The Imperial Knight Bibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west  Lorenz Von Bibra, Duke in Franconia (1459-1519 was Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg from (1495-1519 Würzburg (ˈvʏɐ̯ʦbʊɐ̯k is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west Wilhelm von Bibra (1442-1490 was a Papal Emissary Papal Emissary Wilhelm functioned as a Papal Emissary for both the archbishop of Cologne and Kaiser Friedrich  Conrad Von Bibra or  Konrad III von Bibra, Duke in Franconia (1490 &ndash 1544 was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1540 to 1544 Heinrich Von Bibra (Heinrich VIII of Fulda Prince-Bishop Prince-Abbot of Fulda (1711-1788 was Prince-Bishop from 1759 to 1788 Fulda (ˈfʊlda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the Fulda River and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district ( Kreis

Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Ernst was one of the co-founders of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum (formerly "Germanischen Museums“) located in Nuremberg. The Germanisches Nationalmuseum, founded in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1852 houses a significant collection of items relating to German culture and art extending from Founded in 1852, lead by fellow Franconian baron, Hans von und zu Aufsess, whose goal was to assemble a "well-ordered compendium of all available source material for German history, literature and art". Ernst donated much of his personal collection, which included art, a rich natural history and ethnographic collection, to the museum. A room from his home is often on display at the museum.

"Theory on the action of ether" Anesthesia

An outdated theory of anaesthetic action, Ernst von Bibra and Emil Harless, in 1847, were the first to suggest that general anaesthetics may act by dissolving in the fatty fraction of brain cells. See the General anaesthetic page for current theories A general anaesthetic (or anesthetic) drug is an anaesthetic drug that brings A general anaesthetic (or anesthetic, see Spelling differences) drug is an anaesthetic drug that brings about a reversible loss of Consciousness. They proposed that anaesthetics dissolve and remove fatty constituents from brain cells, changing their activity and inducing anaesthesia. Below is the abstract of a recent German scientific paper on their work.

Frühe Erlanger Beiträge zur Theorie und Praxis der äther- und Chloroformnarkose : Die tierexperimentellen Untersuchungen von Ernst von Bibra und Emil Harless U. v. Hintzenstern, H. Petermann, W. Schwarz Der Anaesthesist Issue Volume 50, Number 11 / November, 2001

Abstract of Article: Just three months after the first application of sulphuric ether to a patient in German-speaking countries the monography Die Wirkung des Schwefeläthers in chemischer und physiologischer Beziehung was published. In this book Ernst von Bibra and Emil Harless presented their experimental research on the effects of ether on humans and compared it to those on animals. The contents of the book are described. The authors "Theory on the action of ether" will be discussed in the context of contemporary criticism. Their hypothesis affected the discussion on the mechanisms of anaesthetic action up to the twentieth century.

Composition of Barley

The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) cites the following composition of barley meal according to Ernst von Bibra, omitting the salts:

Water 15%
Nitrogenous compounds 12. Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 981%
Gum 6. Natural gums are Polysaccharides of natural origin capable of causing a large Viscosity increase in solution even at small concentrations 744%
Sugar 3. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. 200%
Starch 59. Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide 950%
Fat 2. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water 170%

What Others Thought about Ernst von Bibra

Richard Evans Schultes, "Father of Modern Ethnobotany" on Ernst von Bibra

 Richard Evans Schultes, Ph. Richard Evans Schultes ( January 12, 1915 &ndash April 10, 2001) may be considered the father of modern Ethnobotany D. , F. L. S. who was the Curator of Economic Botany and Executive Director, Harvard Botanical Museum wrote in The plant kingdom and hallucinogens (1970):

In 1855, Ernst Freiherr von Bibra published the first book of its kind, Die narkotischen Genussmittel und der Mensch, in which he considered some 17 plant narcotics and stimulants and urged chemists to study assiduously a field so promising for research and so fraught with enigmas. The Harvard University Herbaria and Botanical Museum are institutions located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts.
A review of the scientific literature of the last half of the past century indicates that von Bibra's suggestions were followed, and an interdisciplinary interest in narcotics began to take hold and grow. It proved to be the spark that eventually engendered today's extraordinarily extensive and complex literature in many fields on narcotic substances.
Half a century later, in 1911, another outstanding book-in reality, a much expanded and modernized successor of von Bibra's work-appeared in C. Hartwich's Die menschlichen Genussmittel. This volume considered at great length and with interdisciplinary emphasis about 30 vegetal narcotics and stimulants and mentioned many others in passing. Hartwich pointed out that von Bibra's pioneer work was out of date, that research on the botanical aspects and chemical constituents of these curiously active plants had, in 1855, scarcely begun but that, by 1911, such studies were either progressing well or had already been completed.

Albert Hofmann on Ernst von Bibra

Albert Hofmann writes and quotes Ernst in his book LSD — My Problem Child, Chapter 7. Albert Hofmann ( January 11 1906 – April 29 2008) was a Swiss scientist best known for having been the first to synthesize "Radiance from Ernst Jünger"

I visited Ernst Jünger occasionally in the following years, in Wilfingen, Germany, where he had moved from Ravensburg; or we met in Switzerland, at my place in Bottmingen, or in Bundnerland in southeastern Switzerland. Ernst Jünger ( March 29, 1895 — February 17, 1998) was a German Writer. Through the shared LSD experience our relations had deepened. Drugs and problems connected with them constituted a major subject of our conversation and correspondence, without our having made further practical experiments in the meantime.
We exchanged literature about drugs. Ernst Jünger thus let me have for my drug library the rare, valuable monograph of Dr. Ernst Freiherrn von Bibra, Die Narkotischen Genussmittel und der Mensch [Narcotic pleasure drugs and man] printed in Nuremberg in 1855. This book is a pioneering, standard work of drug literature, a source of the first order, above all as relates to the history of drugs. What von Bibra embraces under the designation "Narkotischen Genussmittel" are not only substances like opium and thorn apple, but also coffee, tobacco, khat, which do not fall under the present conception of narcotics, any more than do drugs such as coca, fly agaric, and hashish, which he also described.
Noteworthy, and today still as topical as at the time, are the general opinions about drugs that von Bibra contrived more than a century ago: The individual who has taken too much hashish, and then runs frantically about in the streets and attacks everyone who confronts him, sinks into insignificance beside the numbers of those who after mealtime pass calm and happy hours with a moderate dose; and the number of those who are able to overcome the heaviest exertions through coca, yes, who were possibly rescued from death by starvation through coca, by far exceed the few coqueros who have undermined their health by immoderate use. In the same manner, only a misplaced hypocrisy can condemn the vinous cup of old father Noah, because individual drunkards do not know how to observe limit and moderation.

Arthur Schopenhauer on Ernst von Bibra

The famous philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), was extremely critical of Ernst for his vivisection of animals in Parerga and Paralipomena. (quoting Payne's translation)

Deserving of special mention is the atrocity, perpetrated in Nuremberg by Baron von Bibra and reported by him tanquam re bene gesta to the public with inconceivable naïveté in his Vergleichende Untersuchungen über das Gehirn des Menschen und der Wirbelthiere (Mannheim, 1854, pp. 131 ff. ). He deliberately arranged for the death by starvation of two rabbits in order to carry out a useless and superfluous research as to whether the chemical constituents of the brain underwent a change in their proportions through death by starvation! For the benefit of science, n’est-ce-pas? Does it never occur to these gentlemen of scalpel and crucible that they are human beings first and chemists afterwards?

Schopenhauer further on states 

If Bibra’s cruel act could not be prevented, was it left unpunished? At any rate, anyone who has still as much to learn from books as has that von Bibra, should remember that to extort the final answers on the path of cruelty is to put nature on the rack in order to enrich his knowledge, to extort her secrets which have probably long been known.

Works (Titles in German)

Some of his novels include:

Literature

German

English

External links

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