- Baron Carl von Rokitansky
Baron Carl von Rokitansky (German: "Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky", Czech: "Karel Rokytanský") (
February 19 ,1804 –July 23 ,1878 ), was aBohemia nphysician ,pathologist , humanistphilosopher and liberalpolitician .Medical career
Carl von Rokitansky was born in
Hradec Králové ,Bohemia . He studied inPrague (1821-1824) and attained adoctorate inmedicine on 6 March 1828 at theUniversity of Vienna . As a young professor, he recognized that the still little noted discipline ofpathological anatomy could be of great service to clinical work in thehospital , because it could offer newdiagnostic and therapeutic possibilities to the bed-side physician. With this, afterGerard van Swieten , who was the founder of the firstVienna School , Rokitansky released a veritable scientific "revolution". With the establishment of the second Vienna School, a paradigm shift went into effect, led by Rokitansky, Josef Škoda and Ferdinand von Hebra, from the notion of medicine as a nature-philosophical subject, to the more modern, scientifically-oriented medicine. In this way associated with the specialization of the medicine and with the development of new disciplines, the Vienna School achieved world-wide reputation.Rokitansky's name is associated with the following
disease s:
*Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome
*Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome
*Rokitansky's diverticulum
*Rokitansky's triad (pulmonary stenosis )
*Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses (in thegallbladder )
*Rokitansky-Cushing ulcer
*Rokitansky-Maude Abbott syndrome
*Von Rokitansky's syndrome He also developed a method of
autopsy , the eponymous "Rokitansky technique", which is still one of two standard methods in use today, based on the "in situ " examination of the viscera. Rokitansky is said "to have supervised 70,000 autopsies, and personally performed over 30,000, averaging two a day, seven days a week, for 45 years" [http://www.medicinenet.com/autopsy/page4.htm]Philosophical career
Although Rokitansky defended the "materialistic method" in scientific
research , he rejectedmaterialism as a philosophical world view. In his commemorative speech on the occasion of the opening of the Institute of Pathological Anatomy at the General Hospital of Vienna, he warned against the abuse of "natural science liberties". Scientists should first regard humans as "conscious and free-willing subjects" and only then follow their urge toward knowledge. The feeling of humanity would be lost if physicians regarded human beings purely as research objects. Thus Rokitansky brought up for the first time the question ofethics in medicine. In another speech about the "solidarity of all animal life", delivered at the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Rokitansky showed his proximity toArthur Schopenhauer 's writings oncompassion : "if we [... ] preserve and practice compassion", he explained "we are able to alleviate part of the load of suffering" of patients. Human generosity will be shown by our capability to accept the greatest sufferings by voluntarily renouncingaggression . Those who succeed in this should be our greatest ethical role models.On 17 July 1848 von Rokitansky was selected to the be an effective member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In 1866 he became its vice-president and from 1869 until his death in
Vienna ,Austria-Hungary , on 23 July 1878, its president. Rokitansky felt that this "was the largest honour which I could enjoy".Political career
By way of his leading positions in the most diverse academic and political institutions of the Austrian Empire, Rokitansky helped to shape the era of Austrian high
liberalism . He represented liberalism among the educatedmiddle class and strove for "freedom and progress", both to theuniversity reform and to the substantial improvement ofhealth sciences . Rokitansky was several times the dean of the medical school, and, in 1853, the first freely electedrector of the medical congregation of theUniversity of Vienna and president of the Superior Medical Council. From 1850 until his death, he also presided the Physician's Society of Vienna, In 1863 he was appointed byAnton von Schmerling as medical adviser to the Ministry of the Interior. On25 November 1867 he was "unexpectedly and unprepared" nominated byFranz Joseph I to the High Chamber of the Royal Council. Finally, he was elected in 1870 to the presidency of the Anthropological Society.Notes
Bibliography
* "Handbuch der pathologischen Anatomie." 3 volumes. Wien, Braumüller u. Seidel, 1842-1846.
* "Die Defecte der Scheidewände des Herzens." Wien, W. Braumüller, 1875.Literature
* Rumpler, Helmut. "Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky". Boehlau Verlag, Vienna. 2006. ISBN 3-205-77205-9
External links
* [http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/981.html Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky] . WhoNamedIt.
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