Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. II, 1949 Sciences Scientists

Bassi, Agostino

Italian original Cite

BASSI, AGOSTINO. - A lawyer by profession and a naturalist by vocation, b. at Mairago (Lodi) in 1773, d. at Lodi in 1856. While studying the calcino or "mal del segno" of silkworms, he attributed it to a fungus (called in his honor Botrytis bassiana), thus beginning, in 1835, the era of bacteriological discoveries and opening the way to the doctrine of pathogenic microorganisms (the agent of contagions is a living being). He must be considered one of the great naturalists of the 19th century and perhaps the most original. A most pious man, B. frequently in his writings attributes the merit of his discoveries to Providence.

Among his writings may be noted: Mal del segno, Calcinaccio o moscardino, malattia che affligge i bachi da seta (Lodi 1835-36).

Bibliography

BIBL.: Opere di A. B., with commentary by G. B. Grassi, Pavia 1929.

Luigi Screnini

About this entry

By Luigi Scremin

How we know signed in print

Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II (1949), col. 985.

More by Luigi Scremin: Bathybius Haeckelii · Beccari, Odoardo · Behring, Emil Adolf · Baker, Mary Eddy · Boule, Pierre-Marcelin

Cite this article

Chicago

Scremin, Luigi. “Bassi, agostino.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, col. 985. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949. https://azioneromana.com/article/bassi-agostino.

MLA

Scremin, Luigi. “Bassi, agostino.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949, col. 985. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/bassi-agostino.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec2_bassi_agostino,
  author    = {Scremin, Luigi},
  title     = {Bassi, agostino},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {II},
  pages     = {985},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1949},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/bassi-agostino}
}

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