The curious death of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783–1840): the case for the maidenhair fern
@article{Ambrose2010TheCD, title={The curious death of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783–1840): the case for the maidenhair fern}, author={Charles T Ambrose}, journal={Journal of Medical Biography}, year={2010}, volume={18}, pages={165 - 173} }
Constantine Rafinesque, a French émigré to America in the early 19th century, was a forerunner of Charles Darwin and a zealous field naturalist who identified thousands of new species of plants and animals. His career was controversial in part because of his unfocused ambition to gain scientific recognition. In his later years he published in many areas apart from biology. His polymathic life ended in 1840 with his death (aged 57) from stomach cancer. In 1826 he had developed an illness he…
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