Johann Sigismund Elsholtz (26 August 1623 – 28 February 1688) (some sources mention his day of birth as 28 August, and his death on 19 February) was a Germannaturalist who was a native ofFrankfurt an der Oder.
Johann Sigismund Elsholtz studied at the Universities ofWittenberg,Königsberg andPadua, where he received his doctorate in 1653. He was appointed courtbotanist,alchemist andphysician to ElectorFriedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg (1620-1688), and in 1657 was put in charge of Friedrich Wilhelm's botanical gardens atBerlin,Potsdam andOranienburg.
In 1654, he publishedAnthropometria, an early study ofanthropometry. This book was written for the benefit of artists andastrologers, as well as for students of medicine andphysiognomy. It examines the perceived relationship between proportions of the human body and the incidence of disease.
Elsholtz was a pioneer in the fields ofhygiene andnutrition, and in his writings onholistic health, he stressed the importance of clean air and water, healthy food and drink, and also personal cleanliness.
In his 1665 workClysmatica nova, he investigated the possibilities of intravenous injection. He performed early research ofblood transfusions and "infusion therapy", and speculated that a husband with a "melancholic nature" could be re-vitalized by the blood of his "vibrant wife", thus leading to a harmonious marriage.
The botanical genusElsholtzia is named in his honor. This plant genus includes the speciesElsholtzia ciliata.
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