Haller, Albrecht von

Haller, Albrecht von (1708-1777), Swiss doctor, botanist, and poet, considered one of the greatest modern physiologists. Born in Bern, he was educated at the universities of Tübingen and Leiden. After completing his medical training, Haller conducted extensive botanical and anatomical research, which gained him a professorship in medicine, anatomy, surgery, and botany at the University of Göttingen in 1736. He wrote extensively on a variety of subjects for the monthly journal of the university. In 1753 he returned to Bern, where he held various municipal and state positions and wrote his major works.

Haller made many scientific discoveries, among them the distinction between sensitive and irritable tissues. He showed that irritability, which is the ability to contract when touched, is a property of all living tissue, whereas sensitivity is limited to tissues supplied with nerves.

Haller published many scientific works, including Elementa Physiologiae Corporis Humani (Elements of the Physiology of the Human Body, 8 vols., 1757-1766), a monumental treatise of lasting influence. His literary works include the poem “Die Alpen” (The Alps, 1729), a landmark in German descriptive poetry, and three philosophic romances, Usong (1771), Alfred (1773), and Fabius and Cato (1774), which express his views on various forms of government.