Michel Sarrazin (5 September 1659 – 8 September 1734), was an early Canadian surgeon, physician, scientist and naturalist. Born in Nuits-sous-Beaune in the province of Burgundy, he immigrated at age 25 to the colony of New France as a surgeon.[1] He remained in the colony for the rest of his life, returning to France only during two brief periods. While in New France, his medical skills were constantly in demand, and he quickly rose in the ranks, becoming one of the colonial elite.
He was both a seigneur and a member of the Conseil Superieur, and held considerable influence in the colony. He had a great interest in botany, and kept up a frequent correspondence with the Académie Royale des Sciences in France, sending fellow scientists numerous specimens of North American plants, as well as detailed descriptions of dissections of animals.
Sarrazin developed a vast knowledge of both the cultural and natural world of New France, and is credited being one of the first scientists to systematically catalogue ecosystems and samples found in New France, resulting in many important botanical discoveries.
Despite his high ranking position as one of the few colonial intellectuals, Sarrazin faced chronic financial struggles, and died in poverty at age seventy-five, leaving a widow and four children.[1]
- ^ a b Rousseau, Jacques. "Sarrazin, Michel". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved Feb 2, 2013.