Schuh’s Annotated Bio-Bibliography


Return to main Biobliography page

CATULLO, Tommaso Antonio.

(1782 – 1869)

(Born: Belluno, Italy, July 9 1782; Died: Padua, Italy, 13 April 1869) Italian physician, naturalist & mineralogist.

Trained in the medical profession, Catullo was appointed in 1811 an instructor of natural history and chemistry at Belluno, followed in 1815 at Verona and in 1822 at Venice. Soon thereafter, he was appointed a professor in the same subjects at the University of Padua. He held membership in the Società Italiana.

Biographical references: ABI: I 275, 217-228. Caillaux, A., "Notice sur la vie et les travaux de M. Catullo", Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, series 2, 27, (1869-70), 539-44. Casati, Dizionario degli Scrittori d'Italia, 1925-34. De Zigno, A., "Commemorazione del Prof. Cav. Tommaso Antonio Catullo", Atti Ist. Veneto, series 3, 15, (1870), 3-17. Dizionario Biografico Italiani: 22, 531-3. Keller, A., Tommaso Catullo. Padua, Tipografia Prosperini, 1869. 16 p. Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 76. Morello, N., "Problemi paleontologici nella geologia veneta dei primi decenni dell'Ottocento," (pp. 11-22) in: Le scienze della Terra nel Veneto dell'Ottocento. Poggendorff: 1, col. 398 & 3, 247. Prospetti degli scritti pubblicati da Tommaso Antonio Catullo. Professore emerito di Storia Naturale nell I.R. Universitá di Padova, compilato da un suo amico e discepolo. Padua, 1857. 284 p. [BL 7006.dd.4.]. Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 2, 704. Verhandlungen Geologischen Reichsanstalt, Wien: 1869, 130-1. WBI.

Manuale Mineralogico, 1812

1. Italian, 1812.
Manuale | Mineralogico | Di T.A. Catullo | Professore di Chimica e storia naturale | Nel R. Liceo Di Belluno. | [ornate rule] | Belluno | Per Francesc' Antonio Tissi | 1812.

12°: [1]-1412 1510; 179l.; [8], ii, [1]-348 p.

Rare. In this high school level textbook, Catullo has provided an introduction to mineralogical science and a detailed classification system with extensive descriptive notes about each species' characteristics (specific gravity, hardness, chemical analysis, varieties, locations of deposits, electrical conductivity, etc.).

Bibliographical references: Biblioteca Civica di Belluno, Italy: St. 186 [supplied a title page facsimile]. BMC: 1, 327. Personal communication [Renato and Adriana Pagano].

Elementi di Mineralogia, 1833

2. Italian, 1833.
Elementi | Di | Mineralogia | Applicati | Alla Medicina E Alla Farmacia | Di | T. Antonio Catullo | [...7 lines of titles and memberships...] | Itum est in viscera terrae. | Ovid. | Volume I [-II]. | Padova | Coi Tipi Della Minerva | MDCCCXXXIII.

2 vols. [Vol 1] 8°: [1]-272 p., 2 plates (folding; crystals and apparatus). [Vol 2] 8°: [273]-512 p. Page size: 230 x 145 mm. uncut.

Contents: [Vol 1] [1-2], Title page, verso blank.; [3]-4, "Al Lettore."; [5]-96, "Nozioni Preliminari."; 97-272, Text, descriptive mineralogy.

[Vol 2] [273]-[274], Title page, verso blank.; 275-500, Text, descriptive mineralogy continued.; [501]-502, "Indice Delle Materie | Contenute | Nell'Introductione Alla Mineralogia."; 503-512, "Indice Mineralogico."

Very scarce. After the introduction which contains general explanations of the formation, association, occurrence, alteration, decomposition, and distribution of minerals, the author proposes his own system of mineral classification based on Haüy. Each mineral arranged in the system has expansive notes describing the usual chemical and physical characteristics, localities, and uses in medicine. A table of contents and an index to the mineral species mentioned in the text concludes the work.

Bibliographical references: BL [726.h.21.]. BMC: 1, 328. Freilich Sale Catalog: no. 121. Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 214.

.