Eduard Bøckmann
Encyclopedia
Eduard Bøckmann was a Norwegian American
ophthalmologist, physician and inventor.
Eduard Bøckmann was born in Østre Toten
in Oppland
county, Norway
. He was the son of Daniel Peter Barth Bøckmann (1793–1877) and Dina Severine Dreier (1811–1885). He enrolled as a student in 1867 and graduated with the cand.med.
degree in 1874. He settled in Bergen
in December 1874, and worked there until 1886. During this period, in 1882 he took the dr.med. degree on the thesis Om den ved Trigeminusanæsthesi forekommende Hornhindelidelses Væsen og Aarsager. The ailments he described often occurred in leprosy
patients. Bøckmann had spent a year from 1880 to 1881 as a physician at a lepra
institution. His was the first Norwegian doctoral thesis in medicine whose research had been conducted outside the proximity of the University of Kristiania
. Also, in Bergen he involved himself in the local medical society, Bergens Medicinske Selskap. In 1884 he co-founded the journal Medicinsk Revue, which existed until 1939.
He married Anne Sophie Dorothea Gill in Kaupanger
in September 1875. In 1886, Bøckmann immigrated to the United States, reportedly seeking "grander conditions". He settled in St. Paul, Minnesota, and socialized with the many Norwegian immigrants in that area. In 1887 he invited Gerhard Armauer Hansen
from Norway, who resided and researched in Bøckmann's premises. He had a practice as an ophthalmologist and surgeon, and from 1898 to 1908 he was a professor of clinical ophthalmology
at Hamline University
. He presided over the local Ramsey County
Medical Society in 1899, and co-founded the journal St. Paul Medical Journal in 1898. In the 1890s he invented two types of autoclave, one of them stationary and the other a portable model for military use. He participated in the Spanish-American War
in 1898, leading a field hospital
in Jacksonville, Florida
for three months. He also invented a new type of catgut
, which came into mass production in 1901.
In 1897, the library of the Ramsey County Medical Society was established when Bøckmann donated the profits from his inventions. He also guaranteed the St. Paul Medical Journal financially. In 1901 he donated a book collection to the Ramsey County Medical Society library. He decided that proceedings from the sale of the catgut business should be used for a foundation to fund the library. The sale took place long after his death in 1959, and the library was named after Bøckmann. An inventory of the papers of Bøckmann is maintained at the Minnesota Historical Society
. The materials, which are written in both English and Norwegian, include correspondence, certificates and awards, photographs, clippings, and authored papers.
Bøckmann also led a fundraiser among Norwegian-Americans at the University of Kristiania centennial anniversary in 1911. For this, he received an honorary degree
there. He was also proclaimed a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, having been a Knight of the Order since 1907.
Norwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
ophthalmologist, physician and inventor.
Eduard Bøckmann was born in Østre Toten
Østre Toten
Østre Toten is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Toten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lena.-Name:...
in Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He was the son of Daniel Peter Barth Bøckmann (1793–1877) and Dina Severine Dreier (1811–1885). He enrolled as a student in 1867 and graduated with the cand.med.
Cand.med.
Candidate of Medicine , Candidata Medicinae , abbreviated Cand. Med.) is an academic degree awarded in Denmark, Iceland and Norway following a six-year medical school education....
degree in 1874. He settled in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in December 1874, and worked there until 1886. During this period, in 1882 he took the dr.med. degree on the thesis Om den ved Trigeminusanæsthesi forekommende Hornhindelidelses Væsen og Aarsager. The ailments he described often occurred in leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
patients. Bøckmann had spent a year from 1880 to 1881 as a physician at a lepra
LEPRA
LEPRA Health in Action is a health and medical development charity fighting diseases of poverty and working towards a world without leprosy...
institution. His was the first Norwegian doctoral thesis in medicine whose research had been conducted outside the proximity of the University of Kristiania
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. Also, in Bergen he involved himself in the local medical society, Bergens Medicinske Selskap. In 1884 he co-founded the journal Medicinsk Revue, which existed until 1939.
He married Anne Sophie Dorothea Gill in Kaupanger
Kaupanger
Kaupanger is a village situated along the Sognefjord in the municipality of Sogndal in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.Kaupanger originated as a settlement during the Viking age. Earlier Kaupanger was known as Tingstad. Kaupang was an Old Norse term for trading or market place. Town's name is...
in September 1875. In 1886, Bøckmann immigrated to the United States, reportedly seeking "grander conditions". He settled in St. Paul, Minnesota, and socialized with the many Norwegian immigrants in that area. In 1887 he invited Gerhard Armauer Hansen
Gerhard Armauer Hansen
Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen was a Norwegian physician, remembered for his identification of the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae in 1873 as the causative agent of leprosy....
from Norway, who resided and researched in Bøckmann's premises. He had a practice as an ophthalmologist and surgeon, and from 1898 to 1908 he was a professor of clinical ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
at Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
. He presided over the local Ramsey County
Ramsey County
There are two places in the United States named Ramsey County:*Ramsey County, Minnesota, the seat of the state capital, Saint Paul*Ramsey County, North Dakota...
Medical Society in 1899, and co-founded the journal St. Paul Medical Journal in 1898. In the 1890s he invented two types of autoclave, one of them stationary and the other a portable model for military use. He participated in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
in 1898, leading a field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
for three months. He also invented a new type of catgut
Catgut
Catgut is a type of cord that is prepared from the natural fibre found in the walls of animal intestines. Usually sheep or goat intestines are used, but it is occasionally made from the intestines of cattle, hogs, horses, mules, or donkeys.-Etymology:...
, which came into mass production in 1901.
In 1897, the library of the Ramsey County Medical Society was established when Bøckmann donated the profits from his inventions. He also guaranteed the St. Paul Medical Journal financially. In 1901 he donated a book collection to the Ramsey County Medical Society library. He decided that proceedings from the sale of the catgut business should be used for a foundation to fund the library. The sale took place long after his death in 1959, and the library was named after Bøckmann. An inventory of the papers of Bøckmann is maintained at the Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...
. The materials, which are written in both English and Norwegian, include correspondence, certificates and awards, photographs, clippings, and authored papers.
Bøckmann also led a fundraiser among Norwegian-Americans at the University of Kristiania centennial anniversary in 1911. For this, he received an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
there. He was also proclaimed a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, having been a Knight of the Order since 1907.
Selected works
- Some remarks about asepsis in military service (1895)
- The Ramsey County Medical Society: Its past, present, and future (1900)