John Hutton Balfour

John Hutton Balfour (Edinburgh, 15 September 1808 – 11 February 1884) was a Scottish physician, botanist, and bryologist.

Biography

He studied at "the Royal High School" of Edinburgh, continuing later at the University of St. Andrews and at the University of Edinburgh, where he obtained his medical doctorate in 1831. In that same year he was a member of the 'Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh'. ('Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh'), member of the board in 1833. He began practicing medicine, but in 1840 he gave botany lessons and in 1841 he was appointed professor of botany at the University from Glasgow. In 1845 he moved to the University of Edinburgh, performing the same functions and also as 'Regius Keeper'. (director) of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh and "Royal Botanic" for Scotland.

His passion for botany led him to found "The Botanical Society of Edinburgh" in 1836 and the "Botanical Club" in 1838. He also for 30 years was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, where he introduced teaching using microscopes. During his directorship of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, he increased its extent, building a palm greenhouse, an Arboretum and educational facilities.

He retired from his duties in 1879, was granted the L.L.D. honorary from the three Universities in which he had been affiliated (St. Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh).

Work

• Manual of botany (text book) 1848
• The Bass Rock: Its Civil and Ecclesiastic History. With Thomas M'Crie, Hugh Miller, James Anderson, John Fleming, 575 p.
• Phyto-theology: or, Botanical sketches, intended to illustrate the works of God in the structure, functions, and general distribution of plants. 2.a ed. reprint Johnstone & Hunter, 242 p. 1851
• Class book of botany (textbook) 357 p. 1852
• Outlines of botany (text book) 1854
• The plants of the Bible, trees and shrubs. 1857
• Botany and religion; or, Illustrations of the works of God in the structure, functions, arrangement, and general distribution of plants. 1 v. 1859
• Account of a botanical excursion to Switzerland, with pupils, in August, 1858 66 p. 1859
• Botanist's companion (textbook) 1860 reprint of BiblioBazaar, 84 p. 2008 ISBN 0559644957, ISBN 9780559644955
• Description of Aasafoetida Plants (Narthex Asafoetida, Falconer): Which Have Recently Borne Flowers and Fruit-in the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh 1860
• Flora of Edinburgh: Being a List of Plants Found in the Vicinity of Edinburgh with John Sadler. Ed. A. " C. Black, 174 p. 1863
• The Plants of the Bible 192 p. 1866
• Elements of botany for schools (textbook) 1869
• Hand-Book to Illustrations of Botany. Ed. W. fake A.K. Johnston, 72 p. 1870
• Introduction to palaeontological botany Balf. 118 p. 1872
• First book of botany. Collins' elem. sci. series. 1872
• The plants of scripture Balf.
• Article on Botanics in the "8th edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica" Balf.

Eponymy

"Balfour disease" is a health disorder characterized by multiple tumor masses formed by infiltrations of myelogenous leukemia in the bones.

Gender

• (Rutaceae) Balfourodendron Mello ex Oliv.

Species

Bibliography used

• Robert Zander, Fritz Encke, Günther Buchheim, Siegmund Seybold (eds.) 1984. Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen13.a ed. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-8001-5042-5