Julius Friedrich Cohnheim
Encyclopedia
Julius Friedrich Cohnheim (July 20, 1839 – August 15, 1884) was a German-Jewish
pathologist.
, Pomerania
. He studied at the universities of Würzburg
, Marburg
, Greifswald
, and Berlin
, receiving his doctor's degree at the University of Berlin in 1861. After taking a postgraduate course in Prague
, he returned to Berlin in 1862, where he practised until 1864, when he took service as surgeon in the war against Denmark
. In the fall of the same year he became assistant at the pathological institute of Berlin University under Rudolf Virchow
, remaining there until 1868. During this time he published several articles relating to physiological chemistry and histology, but finally turned his especial attention to pathological anatomy. In 1867 there appeared in Virchow's "Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medizin" (xli) Cohnheim's essay, "Ueber Entzündung und Eiterung", which made his reputation as a pathologist. In it he proved that the emigration of the white blood-corpuscles is the origin of pus
, a statement which produced a great revolution in pathology. In 1868 Cohnheim was appointed professor of pathological anatomy
and general pathology in the University of Kiel; and four years later (1872) he went to the University of Breslau to fill a similar position. His work there was interrupted in the winter of 1873-74 by illness. In 1876 he accepted an invitation to become professor of pathology in the University of Leipzig
, which chair he occupied until his death.
Cohnheim was the first to use the now universal method of freezing fresh pathological objects for examination; he also first demonstrated nerve-termination in "Cohnheim's areas" (polygonal areas indicating the cut ends of muscle-columns, seen in the cross-sections of striated muscle-fiber); he was the pioneer in the theory of inflammation, which is now universally accepted; and his researches in the field of pathological circulation and the causes of embolism marked a new departure in the methods of medical treatment.
Aside from his literary and experimental activity, Cohnheim was both popular and successful as a teacher.
He died in Leipzig in 1884.
en in Amyloid Entarteten Organen," ib. xxxiii.; "Ueber die Endigung der Muskelnerven," ib. xxxiv., and in the "Centralblatt der Medizinischen Wissenschaften," 1863; "Ueber den Feineren Bau der Quergestreiften Muskelfasern," ib. xxxiv. (demonstration of the "Cohnheimsche Muskelfelder" by freezing fresh muscles); "Zur Pathologischen Anatomic der Trichinen-Krankheiten," ib. xxxvi.; "Ueber die Endigung der Sensiblen Nerven in der Hornhaut," ib. xxxviii. (demonstration of the termination of the nerves in the cornea
through treatment with chlorid of gold); "Ueber Entzündung und Eiterung," ib. xli. (mentioned above); "Ueber Venöse Stauung," ib. xli.; with Bernhard Fränkel, "Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Uebertragbarkeit der Tuberkulose auf Thiere," ib. xlv.; "Untersuchungen über die Embolischen Processe," Berlin, 1872; "Neue Untersuchungen über die Entzündung," ib. 1873; "Vorlesungen über Allgemeine Pathologie," ib. 1877-80, 2d ed. 1882; "Die Tuberkulose vom Standpunkt der Infectionslehre," Leipsic, 2d ed., 1881. His collected works ("Gesammelte Abhandlungen," Berlin, 1885) were edited by E. Wagner, with a biography by Kühne.
History of the Jews in Germany
The presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...
pathologist.
Biography
Cohnheim was born at DemminDemmin
Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district Demmin.- Name :...
, Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
. He studied at the universities of 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....
, Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
, Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
, and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, receiving his doctor's degree at the University of Berlin in 1861. After taking a postgraduate course in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, he returned to Berlin in 1862, where he practised until 1864, when he took service as surgeon in the war against Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In the fall of the same year he became assistant at the pathological institute of Berlin University under Rudolf Virchow
Rudolf Virchow
Rudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...
, remaining there until 1868. During this time he published several articles relating to physiological chemistry and histology, but finally turned his especial attention to pathological anatomy. In 1867 there appeared in Virchow's "Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medizin" (xli) Cohnheim's essay, "Ueber Entzündung und Eiterung", which made his reputation as a pathologist. In it he proved that the emigration of the white blood-corpuscles is the origin of pus
Pus
Pus is a viscous exudate, typically whitish-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammatory during infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection of pus within or beneath the epidermis is known as a pustule or...
, a statement which produced a great revolution in pathology. In 1868 Cohnheim was appointed professor of pathological anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
and general pathology in the University of Kiel; and four years later (1872) he went to the University of Breslau to fill a similar position. His work there was interrupted in the winter of 1873-74 by illness. In 1876 he accepted an invitation to become professor of pathology in the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, which chair he occupied until his death.
Cohnheim was the first to use the now universal method of freezing fresh pathological objects for examination; he also first demonstrated nerve-termination in "Cohnheim's areas" (polygonal areas indicating the cut ends of muscle-columns, seen in the cross-sections of striated muscle-fiber); he was the pioneer in the theory of inflammation, which is now universally accepted; and his researches in the field of pathological circulation and the causes of embolism marked a new departure in the methods of medical treatment.
Aside from his literary and experimental activity, Cohnheim was both popular and successful as a teacher.
He died in Leipzig in 1884.
Selected works
"Ueber die Entzündung Seröser Häute," in Virchow's "Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medizin," xxvii.; "Zur Kenntniss der Zuckerbildenden Fermente," ib. xxviii.; "Ein Fall von AbscessAbscess
An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue in which the pus resides due to an infectious process or other foreign materials...
en in Amyloid Entarteten Organen," ib. xxxiii.; "Ueber die Endigung der Muskelnerven," ib. xxxiv., and in the "Centralblatt der Medizinischen Wissenschaften," 1863; "Ueber den Feineren Bau der Quergestreiften Muskelfasern," ib. xxxiv. (demonstration of the "Cohnheimsche Muskelfelder" by freezing fresh muscles); "Zur Pathologischen Anatomic der Trichinen-Krankheiten," ib. xxxvi.; "Ueber die Endigung der Sensiblen Nerven in der Hornhaut," ib. xxxviii. (demonstration of the termination of the nerves in the cornea
Cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is...
through treatment with chlorid of gold); "Ueber Entzündung und Eiterung," ib. xli. (mentioned above); "Ueber Venöse Stauung," ib. xli.; with Bernhard Fränkel, "Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Uebertragbarkeit der Tuberkulose auf Thiere," ib. xlv.; "Untersuchungen über die Embolischen Processe," Berlin, 1872; "Neue Untersuchungen über die Entzündung," ib. 1873; "Vorlesungen über Allgemeine Pathologie," ib. 1877-80, 2d ed. 1882; "Die Tuberkulose vom Standpunkt der Infectionslehre," Leipsic, 2d ed., 1881. His collected works ("Gesammelte Abhandlungen," Berlin, 1885) were edited by E. Wagner, with a biography by Kühne.