Erasmus Darwin (Darwin Erasmus)

(1731-1802)
Born December 12, 1731 in Alston (Nottinghamshire County). Studied at Chesterfildskoy school, received his medical degree at St. John's College, Cambridge. He studied medicine in Edinburgh, began practicing medicine in Nottingham. In November 1756, Darwin settled in Lichfield, where he quickly acquired a high reputation. After his marriage to Mary Howard Darwin bought a comfortable house in Lichfield, and soon gathered around him a circle of philosophers, . Writers, . Inventors, . which included Thomas Day, . writer and teacher; Josiah Wedgwood, . skilled potter, Samuel Galton, . well-known religious figure, James Watt, . famous engineer, Matthew Boulton, . began the production of the first steam engine, Watt, Joseph Priestley, . discoverer of oxygen, . other,
. At the initiative of Darwin's they formed the 'Society of the Moon', as collected only at the full moon - so it was safer to return home after the talks. During the meetings, discussed their ideas and inventions, and Priestley later noted that many of his philosophical works were born under the influence of these interviews.
Darwin keen on botany. Wild valley in the vicinity of his estate, he has transformed into a blooming garden. It is this valley famous poem inspired by Darwin's Botanic Garden (The Botanic Garden), . which once earned rave reviews W. Cooper and J. Walpole, and both its parts extremely popular, . which were published in 1789 and 1791,
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In labor Zoonomiya (Zoonomia, 1794), Darwin expounded the doctrine of the evolution of organisms and to substantiate the possibility of origin of some species from other. In Fitologii (Phytologia, 1800) wrote about agriculture and horticulture, and in the Temple of Nature (The Temple of Nature, 1803) - again in verse - outlined his views on the origin of society.

In 1780 Darwin moved from Lichfield to Derby. He continued to practice medicine and wrote books.

Darwin died in Derby April 17, 1802.