Haller was one of the great heroic figures of early biology. Born in Bern, Switzerland, he was not a healthy child, but he displayed prodigious intellectual talents at an early age. He wrote scholarly articles at the age of eight, and by the age of ten, he had completed a Greek dictionary.

Haller enrolled as a medical student at the University of Leyden and earned his degree at the age of 19. At Leyden, he studied under the famous Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738). Haller began his own medical practice in 1729 at the age of 21 and continued in private practice until 1736. He was then appointed Professor of Anatomy, Botany, and Medicine at the newly created University of Göttingen. He served at Göttingen until 1753, when he returned to Bern. He spent the remaining twenty years of his life in research, writing, and government service. Haller died in Bern...