Paul Amedée Ludovic Savatier (19 October 1830 – 27 August 1891) was a French naval doctor and botanist. Savatier was born on the Atlantic island of

Oléron The Isle of Oléron or Oléron Island (french: île d'Oléron, ; Saintongese: ''ilâte d'Olerun''; oc, illa d'Olairon or ; la, Uliarus insula, ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France (due west of Rochefort), on the southern side of the ...

, off

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...

and Rochefort, in 1830. He studied medicine at the Naval Medical School of Rochefort. He subsequently became a high-ranking medical officer in the French Navy. In 1865, as part of a French effort to support the construction of a Japanese Navy, he travelled to Japan, and spent the next decade there, based at Yokosuka. During his tenure there he devoted himself primarily to botany, attempting to impart the Linnean model to Japanese botanical classifications. He collaborated with a large number of other botanists and researchers, including Japanese botanists Keisuke Ito and

Yoshio Tanaka was a Japanese civil servant and naturalist. Born to a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Iida, Shinano Province, Tanaka studied pharmacognosy in his youth with Keisuke Ito. In 1861 he moved to Edo and joined the ''Bansho Shirabesho' ...

, and

Frederick Victor Dickins Frederick Victor Dickins (24 May 1838 – 16 August 1915) was a British naval surgeon, barrister, orientalist and university administrator. He is now remembered as a translator of Japanese literature. Life Dickins was born at 44 Connaught Terrac ...

, a fellow naval medical officer (in the British Navy). This work eventually resulted in a joint publication with his colleague Adrien René Franchet, entitled ''Enumeratio Plantenum in Japonia Sponte Crescentium'', which was published in Paris in 1875 (vol. 1) and 1879 (vol. 2). Savatier also translated existing texts on Japanese botany, including works by

Ono Ranzan , also known as , was a Japanese botany, botanist and herbalism, herbalist, known as the "Japanese Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus". Ono's real surname was ; his adult given name was . became his art name and his Chinese style courtesy name. He was b ...

. In his capacity as a medical officer, he was also responsible for a systematic study of

venereal 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 se ...

among the French sailors and prostitutes of the port. In 1876 Savatier returned to France. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to a naval expedition headed for the Pacific. During this voyage, he made excursions in both South and North America, exploring Patagonia and

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of the Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main island, Isla G ...

in 1877. As part of this voyage he made a detailed botanical study of the flora of

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

. He published an article about his voyage, which was made in part on the ship ''La Magicienne''. Many items collected or produced during this expedition are stored or displayed at the

National Museum of Natural History, France The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the ' (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a ' of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is loc ...

in Paris. Ludovic Savatier, as 'Médecin général de la Marine' (General Doctor of the Navy), was awarded the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

('Légion d'Honneur') by the French government in 1880. Savatier died at

Saint-Georges-d'Oléron Saint-Georges-d'Oléron (, literally ''Saint-Georges of Oléron'') is a commune on Oléron Island in the Charente-Maritime department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Population See also * Boyardville * Fort Boyard *Co ...

in 1891.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Savatier, Ludovic 19th-century French botanists Botany in Asia 1830 births 1891 deaths