Berchtold Count Leopold De

Berchtold Count Leopold De a German philanthropist and traveller, was born in 1738. He was versed in eight different languages; travelled in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and exposed himself in Turkey to great danger in order to study the means of preventing and of curing the pestilence: was a zealous propagator of vaccination, and consecrated his whole immense fortune to the relief of the evils of humanity, and to found establishments of beneficence. In 1805 he collected offerings of wheat in order to maintain the inhabitants of Riesengebirge, who were a prey to famine. At the battle of Wagram, the chateau of Buchlovitz served as an asylum for the sick and wounded. Berchtold died of typhoid fever developed in this improvised hospital, in 1809. He wrote, An Essay to Direct and Extend the Inquiries of Patriotic Travellers (Lond. 1789); translated into French by P. de Lasteyrie (Paris, 1797): Courte Methode pour Rappeler a la Vie toutes les Personnes Atteintes de Mort Apparente (in German, Vienna, 1791); the author translated this work into several languages. He also published the Tables, in which artisans find excellent advice concerning the preservation of their health. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.