FH
The basics
Quick facts
Intro
Swedish physiologist
Gender:
Male
Places:
Birth:
22 October 1831(Östergötland County, Sweden, Union between Sweden and Norway)
Death:
14 August 1897(Uppsala, Uppsala Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden)
Family:
Spouse(s):
Ann-Margret Holmgren
Children:
Israel Holmgren
Björn Frithiofsson Holmgren
Torsten Holmgren
Gunnar Holmgren
The details
Biography
Alarik Frithiof Holmgren (1831–1897) was a Swedish physiologist and professor at Upsala University and a vocal opponent of vivisection, and particularly the use of curare to immobilize subjects so they appeared peaceful while feeling great pain. He studied vision and following a railway crash at Lagerlunda, he advocated the need to preclude people with defective color vision from railway employment. This established the now standard practice of excluded color blind individuals from employment in certain sectors.
Holmgren was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences from 1880. He was married to the suffragist Ann-Margret Holmgren.