Karl Joseph Eberth
Encyclopedia
Karl Joseph Eberth was a German pathologist and bacteriologist who was a native of Würzburg
.
In 1859 he earned his doctorate at the University of Würzburg
, and became an assistant to anatomist Albert von Kölliker
(1817–1905). In 1869 he became a full professor of pathological anatomy at the University of Zurich
, and from 1881 until his retirement in 1911, he was a professor at the University of Halle.
In 1880 Eberth described a bacillus
that he suspected was the cause of typhus
. In 1884 pathologist Georg Theodor August Gaffky
(1850–1918) confirmed Eberth's findings, and the organism was given names such as Eberth's bacillus, Eberthella typhi and Gaffky-Eberth bacillus. Today the bacillus that causes typhoid fever
goes by the scientific name of Salmonella typhi.
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....
.
In 1859 he earned his doctorate at the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, and became an assistant to anatomist Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker was a Swiss anatomist and physiologist.-Biography:Albert Kölliker was born in Zurich, Switzerland. His early education was carried on in Zurich, and he entered the university there in 1836...
(1817–1905). In 1869 he became a full professor of pathological anatomy at the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
, and from 1881 until his retirement in 1911, he was a professor at the University of Halle.
In 1880 Eberth described a bacillus
Bacillus
Bacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria and a member of the division Firmicutes. Bacillus species can be obligate aerobes or facultative anaerobes, and test positive for the enzyme catalase. Ubiquitous in nature, Bacillus includes both free-living and pathogenic species...
that he suspected was the cause of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
. In 1884 pathologist Georg Theodor August Gaffky
Georg Theodor August Gaffky
Georg Theodor August Gaffky was a Hanover born bacteriologist best known for identifying bacillus salmonella typhi as the cause of typhoid disease in 1884.-Early life and career:...
(1850–1918) confirmed Eberth's findings, and the organism was given names such as Eberth's bacillus, Eberthella typhi and Gaffky-Eberth bacillus. Today the bacillus that causes typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
goes by the scientific name of Salmonella typhi.
Associated eponyms
- Eberth's lines: Microscopic lines that appear between the cells of the myocardium when stained with silver nitrateSilver nitrateSilver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . This compound is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides...
. - Eberth's perithelium: an incomplete layer of connective tissueTissue (biology)Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
cells encasing the blood capillariesCapillaryCapillaries are the smallest of a body's blood vessels and are parts of the microcirculation. They are only 1 cell thick. These microvessels, measuring 5-10 μm in diameter, connect arterioles and venules, and enable the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and many other nutrient and waste...
.