GESNER, or GESSWER, CONII AD, a learned Swiss, was born at Zurich in the year 1516. He received the rudi ments of his education in his native city, and discovered an early genius for literature and science ; but he experienc ed many serious difficulties and discouragements in the course of his zealous pursuit of knowledge. His father's circumstances were insufficient for his maintenance as a scholar ; and he was in consequence about to discontinue his studies, when Ammien, professor of Latin and eloquence at Zurich, generously took young Gesner into his own house, and charged himself with the care of his education. The death of his father, however, again reduced him to great extremities ; and his misfortunes were increased by his falling into a dropsical complaint. Having in some mea sure recovered his health, he determined to travel and seek his fortune ; and after the termination of the troubles in Switzerland, the Academy of Zurich allowed him a pen sion, in order to enable him to make the tour of France. On his return, he accepted an invitation from the university of Zurich to take charge of a school ; but having married, and finding his appointment inadequate to the support of a fami ly, he resolved to study physic, and accordingly devoted all the time he could spare from the duties of his school to books of medicine. Being at length disgusted with his situation at Zurich, he removed to Basle, and employed himself in reading the works of the Greek physicians, until he was appointed Greek professor at Lausanne. Having now acquired the means of attending to his favourite pur suits, he was enabled to repair to Montpelier, where he studied anatomy and botany for some time and then return ed to Zurich to prosecute his profession as a physician.
He was admitted to the degree of Doctor, and was soon af 'erwards appointed professor of philosophy ; a situation which he held during the remaining twenty-four years of his life. In the year 1565, he was carried off by the plague.
Boerhaave emphatically styles Conrad Gesner monstrum cruditionis," a prodigy of learning." Mr Coxe, in his Let ters on Switzerland, justly observes, that " those who are conversant with the works of this great scholar and natu ralist, cannot repress their wonder and admiration at the amplitude of his knowledge in every species of erudition, and the variety of his discoveries in natural history. Their wonder and admiration," says he, " are still farther aug mented, when they consider the gross ignorance of the age which lie helped to enlighten, and the scanty succours lie possessed, to aid him in thus extending the bounds of know ledge ; that he composed his works, and made those dis coveries, which would have done honour to the most en lightened period, under the complicated evils of poverty, sickness, and domestic uneasiness." On account of the variety of his attainments, and the extent of his learning, he was distinguished by the name of the German Pliny.
His works are numerous ; of these tl principal are, 1. 4n Universal Dictionary, published at Zurich in 1545. 2. .4 History of 4nimals, b. four volumes folio, Zurich, 1551. 3. A Greek and Latin Lexicon. 4. Opera Botanica, Nurem berg, folio. (z)