Caspar Bartholin the Younger (; Latinized: ''Caspar Bartholin Secundus''; 10 September 1655 – 11 June 1738), was a Danish

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 it ...

who first described the "

Bartholin's gland The Bartholin's glands (named after Caspar Bartholin the Younger; also called Bartholin glands or greater vestibular glands) are two pea sized compound alveolar glandsManual of Obstetrics. (3rd ed.). Elsevier. pp. 1-16. . located slightly posteri ...

" in the 17th century. The discovery of the Bartholin's gland is sometimes mistakenly credited to his grandfather.

Early life and education

Bartholin was born 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 a ...

, Denmark. He came from an eminent family. He is the grandson of

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

Caspar Bartholin the Elder Caspar Bartholin the Elder (; 12 February 1585 – 13 July 1629) was a Danish physician, scientist and theologian. Biography Caspar Berthelsen Bartholin was born at Malmö, Malmø, Denmark (modern Sweden). His precocity was extraordinary; at thr ...

(1585–1629) and son of physician, mathematician, and theologian

Thomas Bartholin Thomas Bartholin (; Latinized as ''Thomas Bartholinus''; 20 October 1616 – 4 December 1680) was a Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian. He is best known for his work in the discovery of the lymphatic system in humans and for hi ...

(1616–1680). His uncle was scientist and physician Rasmus Bartholin (1625–1698).

Academic career

Bartholin started his medical studies in 1671 at the age of 16. From 1674, he studied in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. When he returned to Denmark in 1677, he was appointed lecturer of natural philosophy 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 ...

. The following year he gained his medical degree and was made full professor at the

. He described the bartholin glands which bear his name in 1677. He was rector of the University of Copenhagen from 1687 to 1688. In 1690 he left his academic career to become a high court judge, becoming Procurator General in 1719, and Deputy of Finance in 1724. In about 1696, Danish-born French

Jacob B. Winslow Jacob Benignus Winsløw, also known as Jacques-Bénigne Winslow (17 April 1669 – 3 April 1760), was a Danish-born French anatomist. Life Winsløw was born in Odense, Denmark. Later he became a pupil and successor of Guichard Joseph Duverney, ...

(1669–1760) was Bartholin's

prosector A prosector is a person with the special task of preparing a dissection for demonstration, usually in medical schools or hospitals. Many important anatomists began their careers as prosectors working for lecturers and demonstrators in anatomy and p ...

. He received the Order of Dannebrog in 1729.

Hagestedgård

Bartholin inherited the

Hagestedgård Hagestedgaard is a manor house and estate located at the village of Hagested, near Holbæk, Holbæk Municipality, some 60 kilometres west of Copenhagen, Denmark. The estate traces its history back to the 13th century but the current asymmetrical ...

manor house and estate at

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 29,608 (1 January 2022).1655 births 1738 deaths People from Copenhagen University of Copenhagen alumni University of Copenhagen faculty 17th-century Danish scientists 18th-century Danish scientists 17th-century Danish landowners 18th-century Danish landowners Danish anatomists Scientists from Copenhagen Bartholin family {{Denmark-med-bio-stub