Rudolf Leubuscher
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Leubuscher was a German physician and psychiatrist
who was a native of Breslau. He obtained his medical doctorate in 1844, and became an assistant to Heinrich Philipp August Damerow
(1798-1866) at the newly-constructed provincial mental institution in Halle. In 1848 he became habilitated at Humboldt University of Berlin
, and in 1855 was a director at the medical clinic in Jena
. He later returned to Berlin as a physician and associate professor at the university. He died in Berlin in 1861 at the age of 39.
Leubuscher is remembered for his political views, as well as for his work in medicine. He was a catalyst for health reform in Germany, and also a passionate advocate of social and political change. He argued that economic and social conditions were a major factor concerning health and disease, and believed that the health of the populace was a matter of social concern. With Rudolf Virchow
(1821-1902), he was co-founder of a weekly socio-political newspaper on medical reform called Medicinische Reform. The publication of this newspaper was short-lived; it was only in existence from July 1848 to June 29, 1849.
Among his written works was a German translation of Louis-Florentin Calmeil
's landmark work on the history of psychiatry, De la Folie (About the Delusions). Leubuscher named his translation Der Wahnsinn in den vier letzten Jahrhunderten (On Madness in the Last Four Centuries).
He was also close to the Lübeck
University professor Ernst Freiherr von Blomberg. They both worked in the same fields of expertise and an abundant correspondence between them shows a remarkable kinship. Both published on clinical lycanthropy
, Renfield syndrome and other diseases of the brain. Freiherr von Blomberg, an anthrozoologist and theologist, reportedly dedicated his (posthumously published) Ein seltener fall von Hydrocephalus to Leubuscher, although no mention of Leubuscher appears in the paper.
He also published an article on aboulia ('Über Abulie', Zeitschr. für Psychiat. 4, 562-578, 1847), listing a number of disorders of the will, including weak-willedness.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
who was a native of Breslau. He obtained his medical doctorate in 1844, and became an assistant to Heinrich Philipp August Damerow
Heinrich Philipp August Damerow
Heinrich Philipp August Damerow was a German psychiatrist who was born in Stettin, Province of Pomerania, Prussia ....
(1798-1866) at the newly-constructed provincial mental institution in Halle. In 1848 he became habilitated at Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, and in 1855 was a director at the medical clinic in Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
. He later returned to Berlin as a physician and associate professor at the university. He died in Berlin in 1861 at the age of 39.
Leubuscher is remembered for his political views, as well as for his work in medicine. He was a catalyst for health reform in Germany, and also a passionate advocate of social and political change. He argued that economic and social conditions were a major factor concerning health and disease, and believed that the health of the populace was a matter of social concern. With Rudolf Virchow
Rudolf Virchow
Rudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...
(1821-1902), he was co-founder of a weekly socio-political newspaper on medical reform called Medicinische Reform. The publication of this newspaper was short-lived; it was only in existence from July 1848 to June 29, 1849.
Among his written works was a German translation of Louis-Florentin Calmeil
Louis-Florentin Calmeil
Louis-Florentin Calmeil was a French psychiatrist and medical historian born in Yversay. He was an assistant to Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol at Charenton, where he later succeeded Esquirol as director....
's landmark work on the history of psychiatry, De la Folie (About the Delusions). Leubuscher named his translation Der Wahnsinn in den vier letzten Jahrhunderten (On Madness in the Last Four Centuries).
He was also close to the Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
University professor Ernst Freiherr von Blomberg. They both worked in the same fields of expertise and an abundant correspondence between them shows a remarkable kinship. Both published on clinical lycanthropy
Clinical lycanthropy
Clinical lycanthropy is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome that involves a delusion that the affected person can transform or has transformed into a non-human animal or that he or she is an animal. Its name is connected to the mythical condition of lycanthropy, a supernatural affliction in...
, Renfield syndrome and other diseases of the brain. Freiherr von Blomberg, an anthrozoologist and theologist, reportedly dedicated his (posthumously published) Ein seltener fall von Hydrocephalus to Leubuscher, although no mention of Leubuscher appears in the paper.
He also published an article on aboulia ('Über Abulie', Zeitschr. für Psychiat. 4, 562-578, 1847), listing a number of disorders of the will, including weak-willedness.