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Leopoldo Maggi

Leopoldo Maggi (1840–1906), an eminent Italian proto-zoologist and craniologist, was born at Varese, on May 15, 1840. He was educated at Pavia, where he was assistant first to Paolo Panceri and then to Balsamo Crivelli, and in 1864 was appointed lecturer in mineralogy and geology. In 1874 he was appointed professor of zoology and comparative anatomy and physiology at Pavia, and afterwards, when zoology became a separate subject, he occupied the chair of comparatve anatomy and physiology from 1875 until his death. He carried out studies in palaeontology as well as various zoological and anatomical researches, but his principal work was concerned with protistology and craniology. He was the first Italian to direct attention to Protozoa, to the knowledge of which he made important contributions. His chief publications were as follows: “Nuovi orizzonti della protistologia medica” (1884), “A proposito dei protisti cholerigeni”(1885), “I piccoli benefattori dell'umanita”(1886), “Intorno alia determinazione della specie batteriche secondo Pflugge” and “I microbi vantaggiosi airuomo” (1888). He died on March 7, 1905.

Reference

Leopoldo Maggi (1840–1906) Nature volume 145, page 736 (11 May 1940)