Dr Marguerite Henrici (1892-1971)
Marguerite Henrici was born in 1892 in Basle, Switzerland. In 1913 she began studying at the University of Basle. She studied botany, chemistry and zoology, but eventually she specialized in plant physiology and obtained her doctoral degree Summa Cum Laude. After this, she enthusiastically continued research at the University.
In 1913, when she was still a first-year student, she happened to sit next to Dr A Theiler on the train. He was the founder and director of the Veterinary Research Institute, Onderstepoort in Pretoria. He watched her progress over the years and her research achievements impressed him. In 1921 he visited Besle Basle, and took the opportunity to seek out Henrici and invite her to come and work for him in South Africa.
Lamb disease was a big concern for the livestock farmers in South Africa at that time. Early in 1918, Theiler was released from all administrative duties, so that he could focus on his position as director of lamb disease research at the Staatsplaas Armoedsvlakte outside Vryburg. By 1919, he was able to identify the cause of paralysis in animals and how the disease occurs as a lack of phosphorus in nutrition. Their findings led to a new field in the science of livestock nutrition. This was the reason why Dr Henrici was invited as a plant physiologist to come and work in South Africa to do further research on this. Her research included natural pastures and the chlorophyll carbohydrates and phosphorus content of grasses, and the cysteine and sulfur content of Karoo shrubs and grasses.
One of the plants she researched for their remarkable nutritional value is the Double (see photos).
That bush with the hard thorn that pierces every shoe.
Language was a bit of a challenge for her here in South Africa. She was fluent in German and French, and had a basic knowledge of English. But that didn't get her down and she mastered Afrikaans and English, only with a heavy German-Swiss accent.
In 1929 she was put in charge of the Field Reserve outside Fauresmith. This is where she stayed for 40 years and did research, mostly on the Karoo field. The community loved her very much. Until her retirement, she still worked part-time and did research. She did live the last 2 years of her life at a retirement home in Bloemfontein. She died in 1971.
Over the years, she has received a few recognitions. In 1926 she joined the South African Biological Association and in 1935 she was awarded the Senior Kapt. Scott Memorial Medal for Outstanding Scientific Achievement. She was an honorary member of the Basel Botanical Society and in 1969 the University of Basel awarded her an honorary D.Sc. award, in recognition of her pioneering work in her field of research. In 1971 the South African Association of Botanists honoured her by electing her a lifetime honorary member of the Association.
Over the years she has collected between 6000 and 7000 plant samples, mainly Karoo plants. Two plants were named after her in her memory. In the photos is a sketch she did of one of the plants named after her.
The photos of the field are where the Field Reserve outside Fauresmith was. One can still see the old building and the boundaries of her test camps. The land still belongs to dept. Agriculture is no longer an active research area.
Source:
Aosis : Marguerite Getrud Anna Henrici (1892-1971)
Botanical Exploration of Southern Africa Edition 2 by H.F Glen and G. Germishuizen