Blog der Hauptbibliothek

Billroth and the «Archiv für klinische Chirurgie»

17. September 2018 | Martina Gosteli | Keine Kommentare |

This post is also available in: Deutsch

Theodor Billroth in Zurich (Archive for Medical History PN 184.05)

 

At the Cantonal hospital

Theodor Billroth came to Zurich from Berlin in 1860 as a young surgeon. The medical faculty had taken considerable effort to appoint the ambitious student of the well-known Bernhard von Langenbeck. Billroth was only the second full professor of surgery in Zurich after Heinrich Locher-Zwingli, who was appointed at the founding of the University in 1833. In Zurich, Billroth encountered modern infrastructures. The Cantonal Hospital was newly built in 1842 at the current location of the hospital park.

The Cantonal Hospital 1869

 

A new journal

Billroth had already as an assistant in Berlin suggested to Bernhard von Langenbeck to found a journal for surgery. German-speaking surgeons published mainly in “Göschens Klinik”, a journal in which surgery played only a minor role, due to a lack of better alternatives. Langenbeck hesitated at first. In several letters to his colleague Friedrich Esmarch, Billroth describes how he tried to persuade his superior to change his mind, for example by offering himself as an editor who would do all the work for him.

The turn came with Billroth’s appointment to Zurich. Billroth now indicated to Langenbeck that he could also found the journal on his own. Finally, Langenbeck agreed to become editor of the newly founded «Archiv für klinische Chirurgie» Billroth took over the editorial office with Ernst Gurlt, a colleague from Berlin. As a result, the world’s oldest journal for surgery still in existence was founded in Germany. After several name changes, Springer now publishes it with the title “Langenbeck’s archives of surgery”.

Lithographs of the article in the appendix

 

Anatomical study of clubfeet

The article of Theodor Billroth in the showcase of the exhibition in the Main Library – Medicine Careum was published in the first volume of the “Archiv für klinische Chirurgie”. Billroth at this point had been in Zurich for less than a year. In his article, he does not describe the results of his research in Zurich, but two cases of malformations from his work in Berlin.

He describes in detail the deformities of the feet of a newborn boy and a nine-month-old girl and makes suggestions for therapy. The male infant died of pneumonia at the age of 14 days. Billroth managed to get the boy’s body for examination. He dissected the foot and had a lithograph made, which was added to the article as a plate. Billroth treated the deformity of the girl by having his foot fixed in a splint boot.

 

Abgelegt unter: ExhibitionsHistory of MedicineMain Library - Medicine Careum
Tags: