Ferdinand Victor Alphons Prosch (November 25, 1820 in Copenhagen – July 29, 1885) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

doctor, veterinarian and biologist. Prosch's father, Johannes Henrik William Prosch (died 1843) was a secretary in the Danish War Chancery and his mother, Caroline Sophie (née Brement) was French. In 1837 Prosch was a student at the Metropolitan School in Copenhagen and by 1843 he had taken his medical exams. Between 1843 and 1846 Prosch was employed by the University as a prosector, i.e. a preparer of specimens for

dissection Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause o ...

in the University's Zoological museum. In 1847 he joined the ''Flaaden'' as the ship's doctor on a voyage to Madeira. Guinea, Venezuela and the Caribbean. In 1848 he was the ship's doctor on the frigate ''Havfrue'' ("Mermaid") in the

First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (german: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Krieg) was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswig, ...

. After the war practiced as a doctor in Copenhagen and was a teacher of natural history, in which capacity he published the book "Lærer i Naturhistorie, i hvilken Egenskabin" 1851, which at the time was widely used as a school textbook. He dealt equally diligently with the study of natural history,

comparative anatomy Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny (the evolution of species). The science began in the classical era, continuing in t ...

and

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

. His scientific reputation was such that in 1852 he gained a teaching post in hygiene studies at Veterinary and Agricultural University, where in 1858 he was appointed associate professor of

Dietetics A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ca ...

and

Animal Husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...

, being promoted to professor a year later. he made several journeys abroad to study German and English breeds of farm animals and he was to have a significant impact on Danish agriculture in the late 19th century. He was the author and co-author of many

text book A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textbook ...

s, articles and papers on animal health and wellbeing. He was a Knight of the Danneborg, a Danish honour similar to the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

Some Taxa named by Prosch

*'' Bathypolypus arcticus'' (Prosch 1847) * Cranchiidae (Prosch 1847) *'' Teuthowenia megalops'' (Prosch 1849)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosch, Ferdinand Victor Alphons 1820 births 1885 deaths