Martin Schurig

Martin Schurig (1656–1733) was a German physician who first used the term "Gynaecologia" in 1730, following Johann Peter Lotichius who wrote "Gynaicologia" in 1630. Schurig is credited with authoring the first work on sexual pathology, successively entitled ''Spermatologia'' (1720), ''Muliebria'' (1729), and ''Gynaecologia'' (1730).

Schurig was born in the town of Hayne (Großenhain) within the Electorate of Saxony, where his father, Johann, worked as a wheelwright. On July 23, 1671, Martin entered St. Thomas School in Leipzig, committing to a seven-year stay. During his time there, he also enrolled at the University of Leipzig in the summer semester of 1672. On December 22, 1677, Schurig informed Rector Jakob Thomasius of his decision to leave St. Thomas, and he gave his farewell speech on February 26, 1678. In the winter semester of 1677/78, he was re-matriculated at the University of Leipzig, where Johannes Bohn became his teacher in the medical faculty. Schurig earned his medical degree from the University of Erfurt in 1688 and later settled in Dresden. There, he became a city doctor on March 15, 1694, and continued to practice until his death on July 10, 1733. Schurig was married to Sophia Christina Beutler (1666-1713), and they had four sons and three daughters, two of whom survived after his wife's death.

At the age of 64, Schurig began publishing his ''Spermatologia Historico-Medica'', also known simply as ''Spermatologia''. This marked the start of a series of ten books that progressively explored human physiology, with two being published posthumously. Havelock Ellis quotes freely from his works. Provided by Wikipedia