Jean Balthasar Schnetzler

Jean Balthasar Schnetzler (3 November 1823 in Gächlingen – 29 June 1896 in Lausanne) was a Swiss naturalist.

In 1840/41 he studied at Polytechnic Stuttgart, and for a period of time, taught French classes at the Schaffhausen gymnasium. In 1844–47 he furthered his education at the University of Geneva, and from 1847 to 1867, worked as a science teacher at the progymnasium in Vevey. In 1864 he became an associate professor, and from 1871 was a full professor of botany at the Academy of Lausanne. In 1879–81 he served as academic rector.^[1]

He was the author of many scientific papers with botanical, mycological and zoological themes,^[2] a few of which, have been translated into English. In 1873 he published a book on introductory botany, titled Entretiens sur la botanique.^[3] Also, he is the taxonomic authority of the bryophyte variety Thamnium alopecurum var. lemani.^[4] In the field of human nutrition, he collaborated with Henri Nestlé, in the development of a powdered infant formula.^[5]

Articles by Schnetzler that have been published in English

• "Protection of herbaria and entomological collections from insects by means of sulphide of carbon", 1876.
• "On an aerial alga inhabiting the bark of the vine", 1884.
• "On the infection of a frog-tadpole by Saprolegnia ferax", 1888.^[6]

References