Rudolph Bergh (15 October 1824 – 20 July 1909), full name Ludvig Sophus Rudolph Bergh, 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 ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

malacologist Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (mollusks or molluscs), the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, ...

. He worked in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. As a doctor his speciality was

sexually transmitted disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...

s. In Copenhagen a hospital and a street are named after him. Bergh was also an active malacologist, i.e. a

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

who studies molluscs, in particular the

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to matc ...

s, shell-less

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

s. He had well over 90 publications in this field and took part in a scientific expedition to

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. He named and described numerous species of nudibranchs.

Biography

Rudolph Bergh was born in Copenhagen. His father was chief physician in the army Ludvig Anton Berg (1793–1853). His mother was Anne Sophie Kirstine (maiden name Pedersen). Bergh graduated from the Det von Westenske Institut in 1842, and received his medical degree in 1849. Dr. Rudolph Bergh became an

attending physician In the United States and Canada, an attending physician (also known as a staff physician or supervising physician) is a physician (usually an M.D. or D.O.) who has completed residency and practices medicine in a clinic or hospital, in the spec ...

at what was then Almindeligt Hospital, the general hospital in

Amaliegade Amaliegade is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, which makes up the longer of the two axes on which the Rococo district Frederiksstaden is centred. Amaliegade extends from Sankt Annæ Plads to Esplanaden, passing through the central plaza o ...

, Copenhagen, in 1863. He worked in the department of skin diseases and venereal diseases. In 1886, he moved from there to Vestre Hospital, where he worked until 1903. Bergh died in 1909. One year after his death, Vestre Hospital was renamed Rudolph Bergh Hospital in honor of his memory. Zachariae H. (2007)
"Sophus Engelsted og Rudolph Bergh"
''Ugeskrift for Læger'' 169(35): 2864
PDF
/ref> At that hospital, anyone who wished to could be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, and get advice on

safe sex Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices (such as condoms) to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer se ...

and

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

without any change and while retaining their anonymity. In 2000, some of these functions were transferred to Bispebjerg Hospital. There is a bust of Bergh in

, in front of the eponymous "Rudolph Bergh's Hospital", on

Tietgensgade Tietgensgade is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from H. C. Andersens Boulevard in the northeast to Kvægtorvgade at the Meat-Packing District in the southwest, linking Stormgade in the city centre with Ingerslevsgade andHalmtorvet ...

.Dr Rudolph Bergh (1824-1909)
accessed 4 December 2008. The bust was a gift from his colleagues and stood for years in his home. After his death Bergh's widow donated it to the hospital. Bergh was awarded a knighthood of the Third Class Order (''Ridder af Dannebrog'') of

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

and also the

Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn, also referred to as the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog (post-nominals: D.Ht.), is a meritous award connected to the Danish Order of the Dannebrog. The cross was instituted by King Frederick VI of Denm ...

(Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog). In Copenhagen there is a street named in honor of him: Rudolph Berghs Gade (in English: Rudolph Bergh's Street) in Ydre Østerbro. His son Rudolph Sophus Bergh (September 22, 1859 - December 7, 1924) was a

and a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

As a physician

His medical specialization was

s. Among the many texts that Rudolph Bergh wrote was ''About

Tattoos A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing pr ...

in the public woman'', which was published in the Hospital Journal in 1891. The work is about connections between

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

and tattoos. The article seems antiquated today and should not be taken as the sole expression of Rudolph Bergh great efforts to improve public health and in particular reduce the harmful effects of sexually transmitted diseases. Bergh was also one of the editors of the hospital magazine ''Hospitalstidende'', where he published nearly all of his over 50 medical articles.Schlesch H. (1946). "Rudolph Bergh". ''Journal of Conchology'' 22(9): 225-226
English translation
/ref> * Bergh R. (1891)

(in English: ''About Tattoos in the public woman'') ''Særtryk af "Hospitals-Tidende"''. Copenhagen.

As a zoologist

Bergh started to study molluscs when he was nearly 30, probably under the influence of

Japetus Steenstrup Johannes Japetus Smith Steenstrup FRS(For) HFRSE (8 March 1813 – 20 June 1897) was a Danish zoologist, biologist, and professor. Life Born in Vang, Thy on 8 March 1813, he held a lectorate in mineralogy in Sorø until 1845 when he became a ...

, a Danish

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

who was 11 years older than he was and who was a professor of zoology at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

. He wrote reports of the

Challenger expedition The ''Challenger'' expedition of 1872–1876 was a scientific program that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the naval vessel that undertook the trip, . The expedition, initiated by Wil ...

(1884) and the

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...

expedition (1894). He took part in the examination of species that were collected during the " Siboga Expedition".Michael D. Miller. 1999
''Nudi branch of the Week is Phyllodesmium longicirra''
The Slug Site, accessed 4 December 2008. Bergh became the world's leading expert on

s. He wrote his main malacological works as well as over 90 malacological articles and papers. Among other notable works are his work about the anatomy of the

radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...

of the genus ''

Conus ''Conus'' is a genus of predatory sea snails, or cone snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Conidae.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Conus Linnaeus, 1758. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ...

'' (1896). Dall W. H. (October 1909). "Ludwig Rudolph Sophus Bergh". ''The Nautilus'' 23(5)
72
His malacological drawing are considered to be "excellent". He was mainly

anatomist Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

and reached great progress in systematics based on anatomy of

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...

and of

reproductive system of gastropods The reproductive system of gastropods (slugs and snails) varies greatly from one group to another within this very large and diverse taxonomic class of animals. Their reproductive strategies also vary greatly, see Mating of gastropods. In many ...

. Bergh was very active in naming and describing species of nudibranchs and other sea

slugs Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

. The species he named include: * ''

Armina semperi ''Armina semperi'' is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Arminidae.Bouchet, P. (2011). Armina semperi (Bergh, 1861). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aph ...

'' (Bergh, 1861) * ''

Chromodoris annae ''Chromodoris annae'' is a species of sea slug, a very colourful nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. Distribution This species of nudibranch is found in the central area of the Indo-Pacific region ...

'' Bergh, 1877 * '' Chromodoris dalli'' (Bergh, 1879)
* '' Chromodoris elisabethina'' (Bergh, 1877) * '' Chromodoris morchii'' Bergh, 1879
* '' Chromodoris punctilucens'' Bergh, 1890
* ''

Thuridilla lineolata ''Thuridilla lineolata '' is a species of sea slug, a sacoglossan, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Plakobranchidae. It is an Indo-Pacific species that lives in or near coral reefs and eats algae. Distribution and habitat This species ...

'' Bergh, 1905
* ''

Phyllodesmium briareum ''Phyllodesmium briareum'' is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.Bouchet, P. 2015''Phyllodesmium briareum''.In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Spec ...

'' (Bergh, 1896) * '' Phyllodesmium longicirrum'' (Bergh, 1905) The nudibranch genus '' Berghia'' was named after him by

Salvatore Trinchese Salvatore Trinchese (4 April 1836 – 11 January 1897) was an Italian zoologist who specialised in Mollusca. Biography Salvatore Trinchese was born in Martano, a small town in the province of Lecce in Apulia, on 4 April 1836. He attended the ...

in 1877. His colleague and friend was German ethnologist and animal ecologist

Carl Semper Carl Gottfried Semper (July 6, 1832, Altona, Hamburg – May 29, 1893, Würzburg) was a German ethnologist and animal ecologist. Career Semper attended the Hanover Polytechnic from 1851 to 1854 and achieved a Ph.D. in zoology from the Universit ...

Bibliography

* Bergh R. (1858)
''Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Coniden''
Nova Acta der Ksl. Leop.-Carol. Deutschen Akademie der Naturforschen, Halle. Band 65, number 2, 214 pp., 13 tables. * Bergh R. (1870). ''Malacologische Untersuchungen''. In: C.G. Semper, Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen, Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 2, Heft 1: 1-30, Pls. 1-8. * Bergh L. S. R. (1877). ''Malacologische Untersuchungen''. In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr. Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 2, Theil 2, Heft 11, pp. 429–494, pls. 54-57. * Bergh L. S. R. (1879). ''Neue Chromodoriden.'' Malakozool. Blatt, N. E 1 : 87-116; pt. 3 (31 March 1879) * Bergh L. S. R. (1879). ''On the nudibranchiate gasteropod Mollusca of the North Pacific Ocean, with special reference to those of Alaska.'' Part I. Proc. Acad. Nat Sci. Philadelphia 31: 71-132; pl. 1-8 (10 May 1879) * Bergh L. S. R. (1879). ''On the nudibranchiate gasteropod Mollusca of the North Pacific Ocean, with special reference to those of Alaska.'' Part 1. Sci. Results Explor. Alaska 1: 127-188; pl. 9-16 * Bergh L. S. R. (1879). ''Gattungen nordische Doriden''. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 45(1): 340-369, pl. 19. * Bergh L. S. R. (1880). ''On the nudibranchiate gasteropod Mollusca of the North Pacific Ocean, with special reference to those of Alaska.'' Part 2. Sci. Results Explor. Alaska 2: 189-276; pl. 1-8 (10 May 1879) * Bergh, L. S. R. (1881). ''Malacologische Untersuchungen''. In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr. Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 2, Theil 4, Heft 2, pp. 79–128, pls. G, H, J-L. * Bergh, R. (1890). "Reports on the results of dredging, under the supervision of Alexander Agassiz, in the Gulf of Mexico (1877-78) and in the Caribbean Sea (1879-80), by the U. S. Coast Survey Steamer “Blake”, Lieut.-Commander C. D. Sigsbee, U.S.N., and Commander J. R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding. Report on the nudibranchs". ''

Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to: Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) * Bulletin (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper * ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008) ** Bulletin Debate ...

'' 19(3)
155
181, 3 pls. * Bergh, L. S. R. (1892). ''Malacologische Untersuchungen''. In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr. Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 2, Theil 3, Heft 18, pp. 995–1165. * Bergh, R. (1898). ''Die Opisthobranchier der Sammlung Plate''. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Supplement 4(3): 481-582, pl. 28-33. * Bergh, R. (1905). ''Die Opisthobranchia''. ''Siboga Expedition Monograph'' 50: 1-248. Plates 1-20. * Bergh, R. (1908). ''The Opisthobranchiata of South Africa''. ''Marine investigations in South Africa''. Cape Town. 5
1
144. including 14 plates. (From the ''Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society'' 12.)

References

This article incorporates Creative Commons (CC-BY-SA) text fro
Danish Wikipedia from 5 January 2010

External links

A list of those of his publications which include Western Atlantic sea slugs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergh, Rudolph Danish venereologists Danish malacologists 1824 births 1909 deaths