BAUHIN, JEAN, a distinguished botanist, born at Basle, in 1541. He was the son of an eminent physician, who quitted France, his native country, on account of religion, and settled at Basle. In early life he travelled with Gesner, the celebrated naturalist, and collected plants in the Alps, in France, and in Italy, for the great botanical work which he afterwards accomplished. He first practised medicine at Basle, where he was elected professor of rhetoric in 1566. He then resided for some time at Yverdu; and in 1570 was invited to be physician to the Duke of Wirtemberg at Montbelliard; a situation in which he spent the remainder of his life. He devoted his time chiefly to botany, on which he bestowed great labour. He likewise prosecuted other branches of natural history, and published an account of Medicinal Waters throughout Europe. His great work on plants was not completed at his death, which happened in 1613. A society at Yverdu published in 1619 the Prodromus; but it was not till 1650 and 1651 that the work itself appeared, in three vols. folio, entitled Historia Plantarum nova et absolutissima, cum Auctorum consensu et dissensu circa eas. This performance, with all its defects, has been pronounced by Haller to be without an equal. It is still considered a standard work; and the names of John Bauhin and his brother rank high among the founders and first promoters of botanical science.