Johann Peter Frank
Encyclopedia
Johann Peter Frank was a German physician and hygienist who was a native of Rodalben
.
He studied medicine at the Universities of Strasbourg
and Heidelberg, and earned his medical doctorate in 1766. He was professor at the Universities of Pavia
and Göttingen, and for a period of time (1805–08) was personal physician to Czar Alexander I
. He was also professor of medicine at the University of Vienna
, as well as director of the Allegemeines Krankenhaus in Vienna
.
Johann Frank was an important figure in the early history of social medicine
and public health. For much of his career he worked on the System einer vollständigen medicinischen Polizey (A Complete System of Medical Policy), which was a comprehensive 9-volume treatise on all aspects of hygiene
and public health. This work was first published in 1779, and was continued until 1827, six years after Frank's death. His methodology for public health dealt with subjects such as public sanitation, water supply issues, sexual hygiene, maternal and child welfare, food safety, and prostitution
, to name a few.
Frank also stressed the importance of keeping accurate statistical records for hospitals. Reportedly, Frank's system of record compilation was used by obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweiss (1818–1865) to demonstrate the correlation between puerperal sepsis
and unsanitary obstetrical practices.
Frank is also credited with being the first physician to describe clinical differences between diabetes mellitus
and diabetes insipidus
.
Rodalben
Rodalben is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate forest, approx. 5 km northeast of Pirmasens.Rodalben is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Rodalben....
.
He studied medicine at the Universities of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
and Heidelberg, and earned his medical doctorate in 1766. He was professor at the Universities of Pavia
University of Pavia
The University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. It was founded in 1361 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History:...
and Göttingen, and for a period of time (1805–08) was personal physician to Czar Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. He was also professor of medicine 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...
, as well as director of the Allegemeines Krankenhaus 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...
.
Johann Frank was an important figure in the early history of social medicine
Social medicine
The field of social medicine seeks to:# understand how social and economic conditions impact health, disease and the practice of medicine and# foster conditions in which this understanding can lead to a healthier society....
and public health. For much of his career he worked on the System einer vollständigen medicinischen Polizey (A Complete System of Medical Policy), which was a comprehensive 9-volume treatise on all aspects of hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
and public health. This work was first published in 1779, and was continued until 1827, six years after Frank's death. His methodology for public health dealt with subjects such as public sanitation, water supply issues, sexual hygiene, maternal and child welfare, food safety, and prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, to name a few.
Frank also stressed the importance of keeping accurate statistical records for hospitals. Reportedly, Frank's system of record compilation was used by obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweiss (1818–1865) to demonstrate the correlation between puerperal sepsis
Puerperal fever
Puerperal fever or childbed fever, is a bacterial infection contracted by women during childbirth or miscarriage. It can develop into puerperal sepsis, which is a serious form of septicaemia. If untreated, it is often fatal....
and unsanitary obstetrical practices.
Frank is also credited with being the first physician to describe clinical differences between diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
and diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus is a condition characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine, with reduction of fluid intake having no effect on the concentration of the urine. There are several different types of DI, each with a different cause...
.