Johann Georg Heine
Encyclopedia
Johann Georg Heine was a German orthopedic mechanic and physician. He is considered the father of Orthopedics
in Germany.
at Überlingen
and worked as a journeyman cutler in Esslingen am Neckar
, Mannheim
and Straßburg
. At length he left Southern Germany and took his residence in Berlin from 1794 to 1798, where he got into contact with Barthel von Siebold, a son of a Würzburg
surgeon Karl Kaspar von Siebold
. In May 1798 Heine moved to Würzburg and became a craftsman making medical instruments for the Würzburg University. He married Anna Förtsch from Würzburg and had two children, Anna (born 1801), who later married her cousin Bernhard Heine
, and Joseph Heine
(born 1803), who was to become an important physician in the Palatinate.
and machines, a kind of catalogue for physicians, with later editions in 1811 and 1827.
His subsequent publications soon met with recognition among medical experts.
He declined an offer to work in Berlin and stayed in Würzburg.The Bavarian crown prince awarded him an order for his merits ("Goldene Zivil-Dienst-Medaille") and even Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
knew Heine's publications and included them in his library. He got to know "Operateur Heine" at the dinner table of Grand Duke Karl August and invited him to his private home.
In 1816 Johann Georg Heine opened the first orthopedic institution on German soil. A former monastery (Stephanskloster) in Würzburg housed it and later it became well-known all over Europe as the Karolinen-Institut named after Queen Caroline of Bavaria.
By that time the successful mechanic had become a physician although he had no classical medical knowledge. When he started to cure non-orthopedic diseases he provoked conflicts with the rest of the Würzburg doctors, which put an end to a long period of successful co-operation.
and moved to Holland. He bought buildings in Brussels
and The Hague
in order to establish medical institutions. Half way between The Hague and Scheveningen he established a seaside hospital. Heine had recognized the healing effects medical baths – he tried to match orthopedics
and balneotherapy
.
When he tried to cure Cholera
mit baths of ground mustard seed he once again got into conflict with the orthodox school of medicine. Dutch doctors stopped sending him their patients.
News from Bavaria let him know that he was banned from practising orthopedics there.
He fell ill with hydrothorax
and died on September 7, 1838 in Scheveningen. He was buried in Würzburg, where in 1841 a monument was erected presenting a life-size statue of Heine.
At the church wall of Heine's birthplace Lauterbach there is a bronze plate – put up in 1971 , 200 years after his birth – commemorating Johann Georg Heine and his nephew Jakob Heine
.
Orthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
in Germany.
From cutler to orthopedic mechanic
Heine was born in Lauterbach on April 3, 1771 as the son of beer brewer. He was apprenticed to a cutlerCutler
A cutler is a maker of cutlery.Cutler may also refer to:-Places in the United States:*Cutler, California, a town*Cutler, Florida, now part of the Village of Palmetto Bay*Cutler Bay, Florida, formerly known as Cutler Ridge*Cutler, Illinois...
at Überlingen
Überlingen
Überlingen is a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance . After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis , and a central point for the outlying communities...
and worked as a journeyman cutler in Esslingen am Neckar
Esslingen am Neckar
Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest city in the district....
, Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and Straßburg
Strasburg
-Places:*Strasbourg, a city in Alsace *Straßburg, Austria, in Carinthia*Strasburg, Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania*the former name of Brodnica, became Polish after World War I*Strassburg, the German name for Aiud, Alba...
. At length he left Southern Germany and took his residence in Berlin from 1794 to 1798, where he got into contact with Barthel von Siebold, a son of a Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
surgeon Karl Kaspar von Siebold
Karl Kaspar von Siebold
Karl Kaspar von Siebold was a German surgeon and obstetrician who was a native of Nideggen. From 1760 to 1763 he studied medicine in Würzburg, and afterwards furthered his medical education in Paris, London and Leiden. In 1769 he became a professor of anatomy, surgery and obstetrics at the...
. In May 1798 Heine moved to Würzburg and became a craftsman making medical instruments for the Würzburg University. He married Anna Förtsch from Würzburg and had two children, Anna (born 1801), who later married her cousin Bernhard Heine
Bernhard Heine
Bernhard Heine was a German physician, bone specialist and the inventor of the osteotome, a medical tool for cutting bones.- Apprenticeship in Würzburg :...
, and Joseph Heine
Joseph Heine
Joseph Heine was a German physician and a high civil servant in the Bavarian health service in the Rheinkreis.-Medical career in Franconia and in the Palatinate :...
(born 1803), who was to become an important physician in the Palatinate.
Heine's workshop – Heine's orthopedic institute
Soon Heine had his own workshop where he manufactured artificial limbs, stretching beds, wheelchairs and other orthopedic appliances and offered them for sale. In 1807 Heine published his Systematic Index of surgery instruments, bandagesBandages
Bandages are a medical treatment.Bandages may also refer to:* "Bandages" , by Hot Hot Heat* Bandages , by the Edgar Broughton Band...
and machines, a kind of catalogue for physicians, with later editions in 1811 and 1827.
His subsequent publications soon met with recognition among medical experts.
He declined an offer to work in Berlin and stayed in Würzburg.The Bavarian crown prince awarded him an order for his merits ("Goldene Zivil-Dienst-Medaille") and even Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
knew Heine's publications and included them in his library. He got to know "Operateur Heine" at the dinner table of Grand Duke Karl August and invited him to his private home.
In 1816 Johann Georg Heine opened the first orthopedic institution on German soil. A former monastery (Stephanskloster) in Würzburg housed it and later it became well-known all over Europe as the Karolinen-Institut named after Queen Caroline of Bavaria.
By that time the successful mechanic had become a physician although he had no classical medical knowledge. When he started to cure non-orthopedic diseases he provoked conflicts with the rest of the Würzburg doctors, which put an end to a long period of successful co-operation.
The dark years
In 1829 Heine handed the institution over to his nephew Bernhard HeineBernhard Heine
Bernhard Heine was a German physician, bone specialist and the inventor of the osteotome, a medical tool for cutting bones.- Apprenticeship in Würzburg :...
and moved to Holland. He bought buildings in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in order to establish medical institutions. Half way between The Hague and Scheveningen he established a seaside hospital. Heine had recognized the healing effects medical baths – he tried to match orthopedics
Orthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
and balneotherapy
Balneotherapy
Balneotherapy is the treatment of disease by bathing, usually practiced at spas. While it is considered distinct from hydrotherapy, there are some overlaps in practice and in underlying principles. Balneotherapy may involve hot or cold water, massage through moving water, relaxation or stimulation...
.
When he tried to cure Cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
mit baths of ground mustard seed he once again got into conflict with the orthodox school of medicine. Dutch doctors stopped sending him their patients.
News from Bavaria let him know that he was banned from practising orthopedics there.
He fell ill with hydrothorax
Hydrothorax
A hydrothorax is a condition that results from serous fluid accumulating in the pleural cavity. This specific condition can be related to cirrhosis with ascites in which ascitic fluid leaks into the pleural cavity...
and died on September 7, 1838 in Scheveningen. He was buried in Würzburg, where in 1841 a monument was erected presenting a life-size statue of Heine.
At the church wall of Heine's birthplace Lauterbach there is a bronze plate – put up in 1971 , 200 years after his birth – commemorating Johann Georg Heine and his nephew Jakob Heine
Jakob Heine
Jakob Heine was a German orthopaedist. He is most famous for his 1840 study into poliomyelitis, which was the first medical report on the disease, and the first time the illness was recognised as a clinical entity...
.