Franz Schuh was an Austrian pathologist and surgeon

Surgeon

In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...

 who was a native of Scheibbs

Scheibbs

Scheibbs is a town in Austria. It is in the Scheibbs district of Lower Austria.Scheibbs is the birthplace of West Bromwich Albion football player Paul Scharner....

.

He practiced medicine in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, where he was a colleague of Josef Skoda

Josef Škoda

Joseph Škoda was a Czech physician, medical professor and dermatologist. Together with Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky, he was the founder of the Modern Medical School of Vienna.-Life:...

 (1805-1881), and an instructor to dermapathologist Carl Heitzmann

Carl Heitzmann

Carl Heitzmann was an Austrian pathologist and dermatologist.Heitzmann was born in Vinkovci and studied medicine in Budapest and Vienna, earning his doctorate in 1859.After graduation he furthered his studies in Vienna under Franz Schuh , Ferdinand Hebra Carl Heitzmann (2 October 1836 6 December...

 (1836–1896). In 1842 Schuh became head of the second surgical clinic at the University of Vienna

University of Vienna

The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...

.

Franz Schuh was a medical pioneer who advanced scientific surgical practices in Vienna. He is remembered for his research in respiratory

Respiratory system

The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...

 physiology

Physiology

Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...

 and his work in experimental surgery. In 1840 he is credited with performing the first successful pericardiocentesis

Pericardiocentesis

In medicine, pericardiocentesis is a procedure where fluid is aspirated from the pericardium .-Position:The patient undergoing pericardiocentesis is positioned supine with the head of the bed raised to a 30- to 60-degree angle.This places the heart in proximity to the chest wall for easier...

 (pericardiac

Pericardium

The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.-Layers:...

 aspiration

Needle aspiration biopsy

Needle aspiration biopsy , may refer to fine needle aspiration cytology , fine needle aspiration biopsy and fine needle aspiration , is a diagnostic procedure sometimes used to investigate superficial lumps or masses...

), and in January, 1847 he was the first Austrian physician to use ether

Ether

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...

 as an anesthetic on a human patient.

Selected writings

• Pathologie und Therapie der Pseudoplasmen (Pathology and therapy of the "pseudo plasmas"), 1854
• Abhandlungen auf dem Gebiet der Chirurgie und Operationslehre, (Articles of surgery and operative lessons), 1867.