Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Keisar, Mauritius van
KEISAR, Mauritius van, Dutch physician, b. in Essequibo, Guiana, in 1663: d. in Demerara in 1725. He was graduated at the University of Leyden, and was for some time a military surgeon ; but his father having died in 1695 and left him a large estate in Guiana, the son tendered his resigna- tion, and, returning to America, settled in Demerara, where he divided his time between the exercise of his profession and agricultural schemes. He made experiments on his own estate, and urged the adoption of artificial guano. The country greatly benefited by his exertions and his experiments, as he established at his own expense a model farm in which a practical agricultural education was given free to those who were willing to learn. Keisar published many books, some of which are yet standard works. These include "Expose des moyens de mettre en valeur et d'administrer la Guiane " (Amsterdam, 1709); "Notions sur la culture des basses terres dans la Guiane Hollan- daise" (Leyden, 1706); "Land und Leute von Guiana" (Demerara, 1719); "Traite du cafe" (Amsterdam, 1720); "Traite du tabac" (1721): " System der Medicin" (Leipsic and Amsterdam, 1721) ; and " Grundlage der Pathologie und Thera- pie des Menschen" (1723).