Rembert Dodoens (1517-1585), Flemish physician and botanist. Born at Mechelen, he studied at the University of Leuven, graduating in 1535. He set up as a physician and was very sucessful. He turned down positions at Leuven and with Philip II of Spain, deciding to serve Rudolph II at Vienna as court physician instead. He wrote a herbal entitled Cruydeboeck that contained 715 illustrations. He divided the plant kingdom in seven groups and paid particular attention to medicinal herbs. The book was translated into French, English and Latin and in its day was the most translated book after the Bible. It was used as a reference for two centuries. In 1582 Dodoens returned to Leuven to take the chair of medicine, and stayed there until his death. This engraving comes from van Meurs' Illustris Academia Lugd-Batava, printed at Leiden in 1613.