Rudolph Bergh

Rudolph Bergh (15 October 1824 – 20 July 1909), full name Ludvig Sophus Rudolph Bergh, was a Danish physician and malacologist. He worked in Copenhagen.

As a doctor his speciality was sexually transmitted diseases. In Copenhagen a hospital and a street are named after him.

Bergh was also an active malacologist, i.e. a zoologist who studies molluscs, in particular the nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropods. He had well over 90 publications in this field and took part in a scientific expedition to Indonesia. He named and described numerous species of nudibranchs.

Biography Rudolph Bergh was born in Copenhagen. His father was chief physician in the army Ludvig Anton Berg (1793–1853). His mother was Anne Sophie Kirstine (maiden name Pedersen). Bergh graduated from the Det von Westenske Institut in 1842, and received his medical degree in 1849.

Dr. Rudolph Bergh became an attending physician at what was then Almindeligt Hospital, the general hospital in Amaliegade, Copenhagen, in 1863. He worked in the department of skin diseases and venereal diseases. In 1886, he moved from there to Vestre Hospital, where he worked until 1903.

Bergh died in 1909. One year after his death, Vestre Hospital was renamed Rudolph Bergh Hospital in honor of his memory. At that hospital, anyone who wished to could be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, and get advice on safe sex and birth control without any change and while retaining their anonymity. In 2000, some of these functions were transferred to Bispebjerg Hospital.

There is a bust of Bergh in Copenhagen, in front of the eponymous "Rudolph Bergh's Hospital", on Tietgensgade. The bust was a gift from his colleagues and stood for years in his home. After his death Bergh's widow donated it to the hospital.

Bergh was awarded a knighthood of the Third Class Order (Ridder af Dannebrog) of Order of the Dannebrog and also the Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn (Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog).

Bergh R. (1891). "Om Tatoveringer hos de offentlige Fruentimmer". (in English: About Tattoos in the public woman) Særtryk af "Hospitals-Tidende". Copenhagen.

As a zoologist Bergh started to study molluscs when he was nearly 30, probably under the influence of Japetus Steenstrup, a Danish biologist who was 11 years older than he was and who was a professor of zoology at the University of Copenhagen.

Bergh became the world's leading expert on nudibranchs. He wrote his main malacological works as well as over 90 malacological articles and papers. His malacological drawing are considered to be "excellent". He was mainly anatomist and reached great progress in systematics based on anatomy of nervous system and of reproductive system of gastropods.

Taxa named by him Bergh was very active in naming and describing species of nudibranchs and other sea slugs. The species he named include: Aphelodoris antillensis Bergh, 1879 Aphelodoris brunnea Bergh, 1907 Aphelodoris pallida (Bergh, 1905) Armina capensis (Bergh, 1907) Armina comta (Bergh, 1880) Armina cygnea (Bergh, 1876) Armina euchroa (Bergh, 1907) Armina loveni (Bergh, 1866) Armina microdonta (Bergh, 1907) Armina natalensis (Bergh, 1866) Armina semperi (Bergh, 1861) Armina taeniolata (Bergh, 1860) Armina variolosa (Bergh, 1904) Chromodoris albolimbata Bergh, 1907 Chromodoris albonotata Bergh, 1875 Chromodoris annae Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris californiensis Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris camoena Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris cardinalis Bergh, 1880 Chromodoris dalli (Bergh, 1879) Chromodoris elisabethina (Bergh, 1877) Chromodoris euelpis Bergh, 1907 Chromodoris inopinata Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris lapinigensis Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris mariana Bergh, 1890 Chromodoris marpessa Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris morchii Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris nodulosa Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris ophthalmica Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris pantharella Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris papulosa Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris paupera Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris porcata Bergh, 1889 Chromodoris punctilucens Bergh, 1890 Chromodoris pustulans Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris rudolphi Bergh, 1880 Chromodoris striatella Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris venusta Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris virginea Bergh, 1877 Discodoris boholiensis Bergh, 1877 Discodoris cebuensis Bergh, 1877 Discodoris coerulescens Bergh, 1888 Discodoris erubescens Bergh, 1884 Discodoris glabella (Bergh, 1907) Discodoris perplexa (Bergh, 1907) Discodoris pseudida (Bergh, 1907) Discodoris schmeltziana (Bergh, 1875) Discodoris tristis Bergh, 1899 Doriopsilla areolata Bergh, 1880 Doriopsilla capensis Bergh, 1907 Doriopsilla pallida Bergh, 1902 Doris bicolor (Bergh, 1884) Doris capensis (Bergh, 1907) Doris januarii (Bergh, 1878) Doris kerguelenensis (Bergh, 1884) Doris nanula (Bergh, 1904) Doris ocelligera (Bergh, 1881) Doris scripta (Bergh, 1907) Doris violacea (Bergh, 1904) Glaucus marginatus (Bergh, 1860) – Indo-Pacific Montereina modesta (Bergh, 1877) Montereina opisthidia (Bergh, 1877) Nembrotha cristata Bergh, 1877 Nembrotha kubaryana Bergh, 1877 Nembrotha lineolata Bergh, 1905 Paradoris dubia (Bergh, 1904) Paradoris indecora (Bergh, 1881) Paradoris liturata (Bergh, 1905) Peltodoris atromaculata Bergh, 1880 Phyllidia coelestis Bergh, 1905 Phyllidia elegans Bergh, 1869 Phyllidia rueppelii (Bergh, 1869) Phyllidiella rosans (Bergh, 1873) Phyllodesmium briareum (Bergh, 1896) Phyllodesmium longicirrum (Bergh, 1905) Roboastra gracilis (Bergh, 1877) Rostanga lutescens (Bergh, 1905) Tambja capensis (Bergh, 1907) Tambja diaphana (Bergh, 1877) Tambja gratiosa (Bergh, 1890) Tambja morosa (Bergh, 1877) Thuridilla lineolata Bergh, 1905 Titiscania limacina Bergh, 1890 Triopha modesta (Bergh, 1880)

Genus's he described: Titiscania Bergh, 1890

Familys he described" Titiscaniidae Bergh, 1890

Taxon named in his honor The nudibranch genus Berghia was named after him by Salvatore Trinchese in 1877.

Colleagues His colleague and friend was German ethnologist and animal ecologist Carl Semper.