GMELIN, JOHN FREDERICK, was born at Tubingen in 1748, where he studied, and took a doctor'? degree in 1769. He early devoted himself to the atndy of natural history, and, after finishing his education, and travelling through Holland and England, he returned to Ttibingen, where he principally occupied himself with giving lectures on natural history and botany. He there acquired sufficient reputation to be admitted among the members of l'Acaddmle des Curieux de Is Nature; and in 1775 he was appointed professor extraordinary of medicine at Tubingen. Ile afterwards received the same appointment at GiAtingeu, which he held till his death, in 1804. During the thirty years of his academical career he published numerous works, which show the extent and variety of his knowledge and learning, but do not say much for his talents or judgment. His most important works are his historical compilations or dictionaries ; but he is best known as the editor of the thirteenth edition of the Systema Naturas' of Linnaeus, which was first published at Leipzig, in nine party, 8vo, between the years I 788 and 1793. It is divided into three
tomes, one to each kingdom, and is furnished at the end with alpha betical and polyglot tables of the systematic and trivial names. Cuvier very correctly describes it as being " executed without judgment : an ignorant compilation, useless to the professor, and more likely to mie• lead the student that to enlighten or instruct him." This work however though badly arranged, devoid of criticism, and showing the author's ignorance of the different species which he describes, yet possesses some value as being the only book which includes all the objects of natural history which had been described up to the year 1790. Gmelin wrote numerous works and papers on botany and chemistry. A list of his writings is given in the Biogra phie Universelle,' and in the Biographie M6dicale' of the Diction naire des Sciences Tilddicales; whence this notice is principally taken.