ERASMUS DARWIN: BIOGRAPHY AND CONTRIBUTIONS - SCIENCE - 2025

Erasmus Darwin was an 18th century physician, inventor, poet, physiologist, and naturalistic philosopher. He was the first person to investigate and explain the way clouds are born; This he did in a letter in 1784. In this way, he laid the groundwork for further studies of the atmospheric layers.

In addition, he produced a systematic description of the hot and cold fronts, and how they influence the climate. His extensive research work and his scientific capacity led him to design temporary map layouts. Furthermore, Erasmus was the first person to sketch out a complete theory of special evolution.

He argued that living beings are descendants of some microscopic organism of marine origin. These ideas were captured in his two most famous books: Zoonomy and The Botanical Garden. After its publication, it made a great impression on his grandson Charles; These ideas inspired much of the statements of the Theory of the evolution of species.

Erasmus Darwin formulated new treatments for diseases and conducted studies that determined the importance of heredity in pathologies. His ideas for the treatment of the mentally ill were progressive and his conscience as a servant made him interested in public health.

He permanently proposed the improvement of ventilation systems for homes and systems for the elimination of sewage; he was always in favor of building cemeteries in the vicinity of cities.

Biography

Erasmus Darwin was born in Elston, neighboring Newark, England, on December 12, 1731.

Medicine was the career he chose to study at Cambridge and Edinburgh; There he graduated in 1756. That same year he moved to the city of Lichfield, where he became famous when he treated a man who had been evicted by the local doctors. Erasmus cured him of his condition.

In addition, he was reputed for his willingness to serve poor people for free while treating the rich at home, from where he earned income.

What made Dr. Erasmus famous was his rejection of King George III's offer to attend to his medical issues in a personal way.

He preferred to stay as a rural doctor, allowing himself to be carried away by a higher vocation, contact, observation and experimentation with nature in the fields.

He married Miss Mary Howard in 1757, with whom he had five children. The youngest of them, Robert, was the progenitor of Charles Darwin. Mary Howard died in 1770, Mary Parker became her new partner; with her he had two daughters.

After separating from that governess, on March 7, 1781, he married the widow Isabel Polo, thirty-three years old.

Multi-faceted Erasmus

Erasmus Darwin made a living from medicine, but was passionate about two activities that he enjoyed in the company of friends: poetry and mechanics.

Lunar Society

He was the founder of the Birmingham Lunar Society. This consisted of a group of friends who met to discuss in an affable way about scientific advances as factors of change from an agrarian society towards an industrialized society.

Many topics were discussed in no pre-established order. Sitting comfortably in their seats, they discussed politics, economics, art, machinism, scientific advances and mainly, about the futuristic world.

They were called the Lunar Society because they used to hold their meetings every full moon Sunday, as the full brightness of the moon illuminated their way back in the middle of the night.

From this society and other similar groups, it is clear that the main contribution to humanity has been the cause of the Industrial Revolution.

Poet facet

In 1751 Erasmus published the poetic work The Death of Prince Federico, a poem with which he emerged in the world of noble letters, demonstrating in this work a quality in writing and in the feelings embodied very well received in the literate world.

In 1791 he published The Botanical Garden, consisting of two poems: "The loves of plants" and "The economy of vegetation."

"The loves of plants" is a kind of poetic song that promotes and illustrates the classification for plants.

"The Vegetation Economy" is an ode to technological innovation, the discoveries of science and proposes ideas on scientific matters concerning the cosmos.

The botanical garden was one of the first science books made in popular language. With this, he provoked in common readers a particular interest in science. The language of the poem anthropomorphized the plants and made it more interesting to inquire about the botanical theme.

So celebrated was his poetic book that he was recognized as England's leading poet, and he was congratulated by the poet Lord Byron.

Erasmus Darwin died on April 18, 1802 at the age of 70 from pneumonia, his body was buried in the Breadsal church next to his son Erasmus, the second son from what was his first marriage, who drowned.

Contributions

Darwin and botany

Between 1794 and 1800 Erasmus Darwin published the books Zoonomy, or the laws of organic life and Phytology, known as "the philosophy of agriculture and livestock". This proposal was a systematization of agriculture and gardening to form a common science.

The work unveiled the physiology and nutrition of plants, and explained photosynthesis by showing the vital role of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon in plant nutrition. In doing so Darwin laid the foundation for scientifically planned agriculture.

With his work he proposed the afforestation of the British mountains, the timber cultivation and the use of the land to grow wheat not to produce beer, but bread.

Inventions

- Erasmus' inventive and entrepreneurial capacity led him to design a steering system for his own carriage, which was later used in automobiles. He devised a "fire car" that had two cylinders, three wheels and, in addition, the additional innovation of having a steam engine, which had an individual boiler.

- He invented a horizontally arranged windmill. With this, the pigment of the ceramic could be achieved.

- He built a device with which the voice could be synthesized. This appliance impressed your guests. Physically it looked like a mechanical larynx made of different materials, such as silk, rope, and wood.

- In his house he had copying machines to reproduce documents.

- He built a tube that served as an intercom between his study and the kitchen.

- Designed telescopic candlesticks.

- Invented devices that allowed both to close and automatically open windows.

- He was the first English citizen who managed to be his own pilot and fly in a balloon inflated with hydrogen.

References

1. Darwin, Ch. (1954), Diary of a naturalist around the world, Constantino Piquer Translation, Editorial Fren, Mexico.
2. Martínez M., Nubia (2010). Erasmus Darwin and mechanical devices. Recovered from: rtve.es.
3. Pardos F, (2009). The theory of the evolution of species. Madrid: Criticism.
4. Gould SJ, (2004). The structure of the theory of evolution. Barcelona: Tusquests.
5. Weber, R. (1996), “Review of Macropterygium Schimper and a New Species from the Upper Triassic of Sonora, Northwestern Mexico”, Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 201-220