The Correspondence of Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt - DWC - KNAW

Correspondentie C.G. Reinwardt / 51
5. C.G.C. Reinwardt (Harderwijk) to M. van Marum (Haarlem); 15
April 1806
Reinwardt thanks his friend for sending him a collection of cuttings. He will
send him several potted plants in return, whichVan Marum has marked on
the list of cuttings Reinwardt has sent him. Recently he has added seeds of
Asclepias cussusarium [perhaps Asclepia curassavica?] for Sandberg (living at
‘Oosterduin’). At the moment he is in Amsterdam, but he hopes to return
to Harderwijk within the next few days. Sunday, after having returned, he
will leave for Arnhem. Because his activities are becoming more and more
extensive, he will not be able to see Van Marum. He knows that Gall, who
at the moment is making a trip through Holland, has promisedVan Marum
to inform him about the day on which he will carry out a dissectio cerebri
again. In Reinwardt’s view this man is very much in ‘ore omnium’. However
he has not had the opportunity to discuss the contents ofVan Marum’s letter
with Hesselink. Meanwhile he has received a letter from Hesselink, but
not his dissertation. In his opinion everybody is satisfied by Gall’s memoirs.
He is aware of the fact that many scientists, among others Deiman and Van
Swinden, are opposed to Van Marum, a consequence of their inclination
towards Hesselink. Until now he has not had the opportunity to exchange
ideas about their point of view. Again the illness of his brother is getting
more severe, although there is still hope of recovery. Once again he thanks
Van Marum for the demonstration of his friendship and for the hospitable
welcomeVan Marum prepared him at a previous occasion.
[NA-RANH HMW 444-84;ANA]
6. C.G.C. Reinwardt (Harderwijk) to M. van Marum (Haarlem);
Spring of 1806
The author of the treatise has borrowed the list of nutritional plants entered
by him completely from the works of other authors, especially from
Linnaeus’s Amoenitates Academicae. Unfortunately he did not discuss the
circumstances under which these plants might be cultivated most successfully
on a large scale. If the author had consulted a few other sources – among
others Kerner’s book – he could easily have added numerous other species.
Probably the ‘Maatschappij’ has already received similar meaningless treatises
in the past. It would have been better if the author had confined himself