Shi Shenghan

Shi Shenghan

Shi Shenghan (November 19, 1907 to June 28, 1971) was an agricultural historian, an agricultural educator and an expert in plant physiology. In his later years, he devoted himself to sorting out and studying the heritage of ancient Chinese agricultural science, and successively completed 14 great works, such as "modern interpretation of Qi Min Yao Shu" and "collation and annotation of the complete book of agricultural administration". He is one of the important founders of the discipline of Chinese agricultural history.

Personal profile

Shi Shenghan joined the Biology Department of Wuchang Normal University in 1924 and graduated from Sun Yat sen University in 1928. In 1933, he went to the University of London to study and got a Ph.D. in plant physiology. After returning to China, he successively served as professor of the former Northwest Agricultural College (now Northwest University of agriculture and forestry science and Technology), School of science of Tongji University, and Wuhan University. After 1951, he was the former professor of Northwest Agricultural College and the director of paleoagronomy research office. He has been engaged in the teaching and research of biology and plant physiology for a long time, and is one of the first scholars to study Chinese mammals with scientific methods. After 1955, he devoted himself to the research of agricultural science and technology in ancient China. He is one of the important founders of the discipline of Chinese agricultural history.

Shi Shenghan, from Xiangtan, Hunan Province, was born into a small staff family in Kunming, Yunnan Province. At the age of 7, he studied in Changsha Chuyi primary school. In 1920, he was admitted to Changsha Mingde middle school. In 1925, when the wave of "May 30" patriotic anti imperialist movement spread to Wuhan, out of patriotic enthusiasm, he was arrested while distributing leaflets in Hankou British concession. After the "April 12" counter revolutionary coup in 1927, Wuhan was shrouded in white terror. Shi Shenghan was expelled from Wuchang Normal University.

In November 1927, he was introduced by Xin Shuqi, director of Biology Department of Sun Yat sen University in Guangzhou, and went to Sun Yat sen University as an assistant. At the same time, he took up the unfinished courses in Biology Department of Wuchang Normal University. In 1928, he took part in the work of Guangxi Dayaoshan collection team presided over by Xin Shuzhi. In addition to collecting and making animal and plant specimens, he also studied mammals and reptiles in Dayaoshan, Guangxi. He also went to Yao people's families in person to learn Yao language, record Yao songs and folk customs, and published the book collection of Yao mountain in the form of diary. This book fully and accurately records the research work and life of the collection team, and vividly reflects the natural features and folk customs of Yao mountain area. The diction of collection is exquisite and simple, which is highly praised by Zhu Jiahua, President of Sun Yat sen University at that time. Later, he published many papers on Chinese mammals and Dayaoshan reptiles (mainly recorded snakes). He is one of the earliest scientists in China who used modern scientific methods to study Chinese mammals.

In November 1933, Shi Shenghan was admitted to the plant physiology research class of University of London School of science. During his three years in England, under the guidance of f.f.blackman, a famous plant physiologist, he mainly studied and studied plant physiology. During that time, he went to Rosenstein farm to do experimental work. He published papers in the annual report of British plants, such as the relationship between potassium deficiency and the effects of other metal ions on barley growth and water content, physiological studies of plant nutrition - the relationship between potassium and other nutrient elements and barley leaf water content (in collaboration with Richards. F.g.). In April 1936, he was awarded Ph.D. in plant physiology of University of London and honorary certificate of associate of Polytechnic. He also translated the English version of the book review of Chinese botany in the library of Tianchan Museum in London. When the translated book was reprinted, Shi Shenghan pointed out that "Chinese medicine is all nonsense" and "in Chinese green capsule surgery, it contains absolutely toxic substances, but it can be used as medicine. At the time of the prescription of the Chinese Qihuang family, the one-sided words such as "extremely intolerable drugs" were frequently used, which did not respect the facts, were angrily refuted in the preface, and pointed out: "this is ignorance and misinterpretation of Chinese traditional medicine."

Chronology of life

November 19, 1907

He was born in Kunming, Yunnan Province. In the late spring of 1912, he moved back to Changsha and lived in Gongzhuang, a rural family. February 1913 December 1919 (6-12 years old)

He studied in Chuyi primary school in Changsha. In 1915 and 1917, because of his poor family, he stopped school twice and went back to live in Gongzhuang, where he engaged in simple agricultural production.

September 1920 - January 1924 (13-17 years old)

Studying in Changsha Mingde middle school. He almost dropped out of school because of his poor family. Fortunately, with the help of Hu yuanchu, Xin Shuzhi and other teachers, he became the only part-time student in the school. He managed the school library and was able to complete his studies.

February 1924 August 1924

He stayed in Mingde middle school to continue to manage the library and worked as a tutor for several schools in the evening to make up for his family income.

September 1924 June 1927 (17-20 years old)

He was admitted to the Biology Department of Wuchang Normal University, the predecessor of Wuhan University, with the first place in the first and second examinations. From 1925 to 1926, he took a substitute course in Hunan lu'e primary school in Wuchang. In the autumn of 1926, because of the Northern Expedition war, Wu university suspended classes and returned to Changsha to teach in Zhounan women's middle school and Chuyi primary school for half a year. He returned to Wuhan University in 1927. After the "April 12" coup, he was expelled from school in May on the grounds of "empty mind and grey attitude".

September 1927 - July 1928 (20-21 years old)

He worked as an assistant in the Department of biology, Sun Yat sen University, Guangzhou, and took up some unfinished courses in the Department of biology, Wuhan University.

August 1928 - July 1931 (21-24 years old)

After graduating from Sun Yat sen University, he stayed as a teaching assistant in the Department of biology, engaged in vertebrate taxonomy research, and participated in the Dayaoshan collection team in Guangxi organized and led by Mr. Xin Shuzhi. Meanwhile, in 1929, he took a year's rest due to hemoptysis and taught in Guilin Guangxi second normal school and Wuzhou Guangxi provincial second middle school. I met Xu Muzhen in Wuzhou No.2 Middle School.

August 1931 - July 1932 (24-25 years old)

He went to Hangzhou as a teaching assistant of Biology Department of Zhejiang University. In 1932, he took a substitute course in Ding'an middle school in Hangzhou for more than a month. In July 1932, she married Xu Muzhen in Guangzhou.

August 1932 September 1933 (25-26 years old)

Worked as an editor and interpreter in Nanjing National compilation and translation Museum, translating natural science and some technical terms.

November 1933 April 1936 (26-29 years old)

He was admitted to the first Sino British boxer fund international student and studied in the plant physiology research class of Imperial College of London University. He received his doctorate on May 12, 1936.

April 1936 - July 1936

Rest and study German in Germany.

August 1936 December 1937 (29-30 years old)

He is a professor in Shaanxi Wugong northwest agriculture and Forestry College (the predecessor of northwest agriculture and Forestry University).

January 1938 - August 1938 (31 years old)

Rest in changchong village, Xianren City, eastern suburb of Changsha.

September 1938 August 1941 (31-34 years old)

In Tongji University (Tongji University had moved to Babu, Guangxi, Kunming, Yunnan, and Lizhuang, Yibin, Sichuan during the Anti Japanese War), he was professor and director of the Department of biology. From 1939 to 1940, he was invited to teach plant physiology to Biology Department of Yunnan University for one year.

August 1941 February 1951 (34-44 years old)

He was a professor of biology at Wuhan University (moved to Leshan, Sichuan during the Anti Japanese War, and moved back to Wuchang, Hubei in 1946). From 1941 to 1946, he was a researcher in Yellow Sea Chemical Industry Research Society of Wutongqiao, Leshan. In October 1942, he gave lectures in Emei Sichuan University in January; from spring 1943 to 1946, he taught concurrently in Leshan technical college twice; from May 1947 to September 1947, he was invited to give lectures in Lanzhou University and Northwest Normal University; in 1948, he taught seven weeks in Guilin Guangxi University; in 1950, he taught concurrently in biochemistry in Hubei Provincial Medical College for half a year.

February 1951 June 1971 (44-63 years old)

He served as professor of the Department of agrochemistry and director of the teaching and research section of plant physiology and biochemistry in Northwest Agricultural College; he began to collate ancient Chinese agricultural books in early 1955; he served as director of the research section of ancient agriculture in Northwest Agricultural college since December 1956.

In 1955, Northwest Institute of Agrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (now renamed as Northwest Institute of soil and water conservation) was established as a part-time researcher of the Institute; in November 1955, he was appointed as a member of the academic committee of Northwest Institute of Agrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; in 1956, he was appointed as a member of the academic committee of Institute of plant physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In 1958, Dr. Needham invited him to Cambridge University to cooperate with the agricultural and biological volumes of the history of science and technology in China. Due to the current situation, he failed to make the trip.

In 1963, he was elected deputy to the third people's Congress of Shaanxi Province.

On June 28, 1971, he died of pancreatic cancer in Tianjin Shaoshan hospital. He was 63 years old.

Personal resume

Born in Kunming, Yunnan Province on November 19, 1907.

He studied in Wuchang Normal University (the predecessor of Wuchang University and Zhongshan University) from 1924 to 1927.

From 1927 to 1928, he served as assistant of Department of biology, Sun Yat sen University, Guangzhou.

From 1928 to 1931, he was a teaching assistant in Department of biology, Sun Yat sen University, Guangzhou.

From 1931 to 1932, he was a teaching assistant in the Department of biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou.

From 1932 to 1933, he worked as an editor and interpreter in Nanjing National compilation and translation Museum.

1933-1936 in London, England

Chinese PinYin : Shi Sheng Han