Ernst von Bibra


Dr. Ernst Freiherr von Bibra was a German Naturalist and author. Ernst was a botanist, zoologist, metallurgist, chemist, geographer, travel writer, novelist, duellist, art collector and trailblazer in ethnopsychopharmacology.

Biography

Ernst's father, Ferdinand Johann von Bibra,, fought under General Rochambeau in the American Revolutionary War on behalf of the colonies. Later he married his brother's daughter, Lucretia Wilhelmine Caroline von Bibra,. Ernst's father died when he was 1½ years old and Baron Christoph Franz von Hutten 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. 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! Many of his works have been reprinted in recent years. Besides the castle and estate at Schwebheim, Ernst was the owner of a half interest in the castle and estate at Willershausen. Ernst sold his half of the castle and estate of Willershausen in 1850 to the Landgrave Carl August of Hesse.
He produced: Chemical Research on Various Varieties of Pus ; Chemical Research on the Bones and Teeth of Humans and Other Vertebrates and Helpful Tables for the Recognition of the Substances of Zoological Chemistry. Then in cooperation with Geist he published: Investigations of the Diseases of the Workers in the Phosphorus Match Factories as well as with Harleß The Events of the Investigations of the Effects of Sulphur Fumes. After he had published Chemical Fragments Concerning the Liver and Gall-Bladder, he went to Brazil and around Cape Horn. He reported on this trip in his Trips in South America. After his return he lived mostly in Nuremberg where he also set up his rich collections of natural history ethnographics and died on 5 June 1878. Here he published Comparative Investigations of the Human Brain and Those of Other Vertebrates ; The Narcotic Substances of Enjoyment and the Human Being ; Bread and the Various Grains ; Coffee and its Substitute ; The Bronze and Copper Alloys of the Old and Most Ancient Peoples and Concerning Old Discoveries of Iron and Silver .
Ernst work on narcotics is his most famous and was recently translated into English and publish under the name of Plant Intoxicants.. This was one of the first books to examine the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of the world’s major stimulants and inebriants. The book includes seventeen chapters : 1) coffee, 2)coffee leaves as a beverage 3) tea, 4) Paraguayan Tea Guarana, 6) chocolate, 7) Fahan Tea Khat, 9) Fly Agaric thorn apple, 11) coca, 12) opium, 13) Lactucarium 14) hashish, 15) tobacco 16) Betel and Related Substances arsenous acid or arsenic trioxide. 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 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 ; A Woman with a Noble Heart ; The Adventures of a Young Peruvian in Germany ; The Nine Stations of Mr. von Scherenberg ; The Children of the Rogue:; Brave Women

Honors

Germany:
Bavaria:
Prussia:
Russia:

von Bibra Family

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, Lorenz’ half brother, Wilhelm von Bibra Papal emissary,
Conrad von Bibra, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Duke in Franconia and Heinrich von Bibra, Prince-Bishop, Prince-Abbot of Fulda.

Germanisches Nationalmuseum

Ernst was one of the co-founders of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum located in Nuremberg. Founded in 1852, led by close friend and 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. The "Bibra-Stube" was installed in the museum in 1887–1888.

"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. 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.

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 cites the following composition of barley meal according to Ernst von Bibra, omitting the salts:

What others thought about Ernst von Bibra

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

, Ph.D., F.L.S. who was the Curator of Economic Botany and Executive Director, Harvard Botanical Museum wrote in The plant kingdom and hallucinogens :

Albert Hofmann on Ernst von Bibra

writes and quotes Ernst in his book LSD — My Problem Child, Chapter 7. "Radiance from Ernst Jünger"

Arthur Schopenhauer on Ernst von Bibra

The famous philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, was extremely critical of Ernst for his vivisection of animals in Parerga and Paralipomena.

Schopenhauer further on states

The Westminster Review

The Westminster Review. July and October, 1854. New Series Vol. VI. London: John Chapman
History, Biography, Voyages and Travels. page 282
In contrast to other Germans, Ernst was found to be a consummate outdoors man.

Historian Ferdinand Gregorovius

described vividly his visit to the eccentric Ernst published in 1893.

Works (Titles in German)

  • Chemische Untersuchungen verschiedener Eiterarten: und einiger anderer krankhafter Substanzen.. Berlin, Albert Förstner 1842
  • Chemische Untersuchungen über die Knochen und Zähne des Menschen und der Wirbeltiere. Schweinfurt, 1844
  • Hülfstabellen zur Erkennung zoochemischer Substanzen. Ferdinard Enke,Erlangen, Druck von E. Th. Jacob 1846.
  • Untersuchungen über die Krankheiten der Arbeiter in den Phosphorzündholzfabriken. Erlangen 1847
  • Die Ergebnisse der Versuche über die Wirkung des Schwefeläthers. Emil Harless, Ernst von Bibra: Erlangen 1847
  • Die Wirkung des Schwefeläthers in chemischer und physiologischer Beziehung Emil Harless, Ernst von Bibra, Erlangen, Verlag von Carl Heyder, 1847
  • Chemische Fragmente über die Leber und die Galle. Braunschweig 1849
  • Untersuchung von Seewasser des Stillen Meeres und des Atlantischen Ozeans, Annalen der Chemie und Pharmazie, Vol. 77
  • Die Algodon-Bay in Bolivien. : K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1852
  • Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte von Chile, Wiener Denkschriften, Mathem.-Naturw. Klasse, 1853, II
  • Reisen in Südamerika. 2 Volumes, Bassermann und Mathy, Mannheim 1854
  • Vergleichende Untersuchungen über das Gehirn des Menschen und der Wirbeltiere. Verlag von Basserman & Mathy, Mannheim 1854
  • Die Narkotischen Genussmittel und der Mensch. Nürnberg, Verlag von Wilhelm Schmid, 1855 /reprinted Leipzig, Wiesbaden 1983 / Chapter on Hashish republished as Haschisch Anno 1855: Das narotische Genußmittel Hanf und der Mensch Werner Pieper's MedienXperimente, Löhrbach / translated into English Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants Translated by Hedwig Schleiffer, Foreword by Martin Haseneier and extensive technical notes by Jonathan Ot, an ethnobiologist- Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont 1995
  • Der Kaffee und seine Surrogate. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in München 1858, reprinted 2010 Kessinger Publishing,
  • Ueber den Atakamit, in Abhandlungen der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft zu Nürnberg, Wilhelm Schmid, Nürnberg 1858
  • Untersuchung von Seewasser des stillen Meeres und des atlantischen Oceans, in Abhandlungen der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft zu Nürnberg, Wilhelm Schmid, Nürnberg 1858
  • Die Getreidearten und das Brot. Nürnberg 1860, 2nd Edition 1861 502 pages
  • Erinnerungen aus Süda-Amerika. 3 Volumes, Leipzig 1861
  • Die Schmuggler von Valparaiso. Aus den Südamerikanischen Erinnerungen des Ernst, Freiherrn v. Bibra. unknown date, published pp. 2–20 No. 79 Deutsche Jugendhefte, Druck und Verlag der Buchhandlung Ludwig Auer Pädagogische Stiftung Cassianeum in Donauwörth, c. 1920
  • Die Schmugglerhöhle. Aus den Südamerikanischen Erinnerungen des Ersnt, Freiherrn v. Bibra. unknown date, published pp. 20–26 No. 79 Deutsche Jugendhefte, Druck und Verlag der Buchhandlung Ludwig Auer Pädagogische Stiftung Cassianeum in Donauwörth, c. 1920
  • Aus Chile, Peru und Brasilien. 3 Volumes, Leipzig 1862
  • Die Bronzen und Kupferlegierungen der alten und ältesten Völker, mit Rücksichtnahme auf jene der Neuzeit. Verlag von Ferdinand Enke, Erlangen 1869, reprinted 2010.
  • Über einen merkwürdigen Blitzschlag, Gaea, vol. 5, 1869.
  • "Über den Blitz", Gaea, vol. 6, 1870.
  • Über alte Eisen- und Silberfunde. Nürnberg, Richter & Kappler 1873
  • Über die Gewinnung des Silbers aus Cyansilberlösungen, und über die Reduction von Clorsilber. - Barth 1876
Some of his novels include:
  • Ein Juwel. Leipzig 1863
  • Hoffnungen in Peru, Jena and Leipzig, 1864, 3 volumes
  • Reiseskizzen und Novellen. Jena ; Leipzig : Costenoble, 1864, 4 volumes
  • Tzarogy. Jena ; Leipzig : Costenoble, 1865
  • Ein edles Frauenherz. 1866, 2nd Ed., Jena 1869
  • Erlebtes und Geträumtes: Novellen und Erzählungen, Jena, 1867, 3 volumes
  • Die Schatzgräber. Multiple volumes Jena : Costenoble, 1867, 3 volumes
  • Aus jungen und alten Tagen : Erinnerungen. Jena : Costenoble, 1868, 3 volumes
  • Graf Ellern, Leipzig, 1869 3 volumes
  • Abenteuer eines jungen Peruaners in Deutschland. Jena 1870, 3 volumes
  • Die Kinder des Gauners. Nürnberg 1872
  • Hieronimus Scottus : ein Zeitbild aus dem 16. u. 17. Jahrhundert Multiple Volumes. Berlin, 1873
  • Wackere Frauen. Jena 1876, three volumes
  • Die neun Stationen des Herrn v. Scherenberg. Jena 1880, 2 volumes

    Literature

German

  • 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;
  • Rudolf Beissel Ernst Freiherr von Bibra. Ein Naturforscher mit schöngeistigen Neigungen. In: Augustin, Siegfried - Mittelstadt, Axel : Vom Lederstrumpf zum Winnetou. Munich 1981.
  • Rudolf Beissel and Erich Salomon Ernst Freiherr von Bibra In: Schegk, Friedrich : Lexikon der Reise- und Abenteuerliteratur. Meitingen o.J.
  • Dr. Sigmund Günther:”Der fränkische Naturforscher Ernst v. Bibra in seinen Beziehungen zur Erdkunde” Saecular-Feier der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft in Nürnberg 1801–1901, U. E. Sebald, Nürnberg, c. 1901. 16 pp.
  • Knoblauch, H. 1878 Leopoldina 14
  • Rüdiger Kutz: Zum Leben des Naturforschers Ernst von Bibra I, Franconiae Würzburg. In: Frankenzeitung, Würzburg, 1999, pp. 56–60.
  • Meyers Konversationslexikon von 1888 Band 2 von Atlantis bis Blatthornk, page 895: Basis of much of initial article.
  • Wilhelm Frhr. von Bibra, Beiträge zur Familien Geschichte der Reichsfreiherrn von Bibra, Dritter Band, 1888, pages 200–206;
  • Martin Stingl, Reichfreiheit und Fürstendienst die Dienstbeziehungen der Bibra 1500 bis 1806, Verlag Degener & Co, 1994, 341 pages, ;
  • Arthur Schopenhauer, Parerga und Paralipomena II/2, Züricher Ausgabe 1977, Kap. 15. Ueber Religion, § 177. Ueber das Christenthum, pp. 412/413.
*
  • Matthias Witzmann: Eigenes und Fremdes. Hispanoamerika in Bestsellern der deutschen Abenteuer- und Reiseliteratur . Dr. Hut, München 2006.

  • English

  • Plant Intoxicants: A Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants 1995 Translation of Die narkotischen Genussmittel und der Mensch Translated by Hedwig Schleiffer, Foreword by Martin Haseneier and extensive technical notes by Jonathan Ot, an ethnobiologist-
  • Parerga and Paralipomena by Arthur Schopenhauer. Translated from the German by E.F.J. Payne, Vol. II, Oxford University Press 1974, XV. On Religion, § 177 On Christianity, p. 374/375.
  • Anonym 1878, American Journal of Science and Arts, 3. Ser., New Haven/Conn. 16 : 164