Bernhard von Langenbeck
Encyclopedia
Bernhard Rudolf Konrad von Langenbeck (9 November 1810 – 29 September 1887) was a German surgeon
known as the developer of Langenbeck's amputation and founder of Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery
.
He was born at Padingbüttel
, and received his medical education at Göttingen, where one of his teachers was his uncle Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck
. He took his doctorate in 1835 with a thesis on the structure of the retina
. After a visit to France and England, he returned to Göttingen as Privatdozent
, and in 1842 became Professor of Surgery and Director of the Friedrichs Hospital at Kiel
. Six years later he succeeded Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach
(1794–1847) as Director of the Clinical Institute for Surgery and Ophthalmology at the Charité
in Berlin, and remained there till 1882, when failing health forced him to retire. He died at Wiesbaden
in September 1887.
Langenbeck was a bold and skillful surgeon, but preferred not to operate while other means afforded a prospect of success. He specialised in military surgery
and became an authority on the treatment of gunshot wounds. He served as general field-surgeon of the army in the First Schleswig War in 1848 and saw active service in the Second Schleswig War in 1864, the Austro-Prussian War
in 1866, and the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71. He was in Orléans
at the end of 1870 after the city had been taken by the Prussia
ns and in his capacity as surgeon or as consultant tended to the wounded men with whom every public building was packed. He also utilized the opportunities for instruction that thus arose, and the Militär-ärztliche Gesellschaft, which met twice a week for some months, and in the discussions of which every surgeon in the city, irrespective of nationality, was invited to take part, was mainly formed by his energy and enthusiasm. He was ennobled for his services in the Danish War of 1864.
von Langenbeck is perhaps best known today as the "father of the surgical residency". Under his tutellage at the Charite in Berlin, he conceived and developed a system whereby new medical graduates would live at the hospital as they gradually assumed a greater role in the day-to-day care and supervision of surgical patients. Among his most well-known "house staff" were such illustrious surgeons as Billroth and Kocher. The great achievement of his house-staff model was acknowledged by no less than Sir William Osler and William Halsted, who quickly co-opted his concept into the teaching system of the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, respectively, at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in the late 19th century.
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
known as the developer of Langenbeck's amputation and founder of Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery
Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery
The Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery , established in 1872 as Archiv für Klinische Chirurgie by founding editor Bernhard von Langenbeck, is the oldest medical journal of surgery in the world...
.
He was born at Padingbüttel
Padingbüttel
Padingbüttel is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany.The Land of Wursten, a rather autonomous farmers' republic including Padingbüttel, had long been claimed by the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, until in 1524 it could be definitely be subjected...
, and received his medical education at Göttingen, where one of his teachers was his uncle Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck
Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck
Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck was a German surgeon, ophthalmologist and anatomist who was a native of Horneburg....
. He took his doctorate in 1835 with a thesis on the structure of the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
. After a visit to France and England, he returned to Göttingen as Privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
, and in 1842 became Professor of Surgery and Director of the Friedrichs Hospital at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. Six years later he succeeded Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach
Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach
Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach was a German surgeon who specialized in skin transplantation and plastic surgery. His work in rhinoplastic and maxillofacial surgery established many modern techniques of reconstructive surgery. He endeavours comprehended subcutaneous operations such as tenotomy, the...
(1794–1847) as Director of the Clinical Institute for Surgery and Ophthalmology at the Charité
Charité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
in Berlin, and remained there till 1882, when failing health forced him to retire. He died at Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
in September 1887.
Langenbeck was a bold and skillful surgeon, but preferred not to operate while other means afforded a prospect of success. He specialised in military surgery
Battlefield medicine
Battlefield medicine, also called field surgery and later combat casualty care, is the treatment of wounded soldiers in or near an area of combat. Civilian medicine has been greatly advanced by procedures that were first developed to treat the wounds inflicted during combat...
and became an authority on the treatment of gunshot wounds. He served as general field-surgeon of the army in the First Schleswig War in 1848 and saw active service in the Second Schleswig War in 1864, the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
in 1866, and the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71. He was in Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
at the end of 1870 after the city had been taken by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
ns and in his capacity as surgeon or as consultant tended to the wounded men with whom every public building was packed. He also utilized the opportunities for instruction that thus arose, and the Militär-ärztliche Gesellschaft, which met twice a week for some months, and in the discussions of which every surgeon in the city, irrespective of nationality, was invited to take part, was mainly formed by his energy and enthusiasm. He was ennobled for his services in the Danish War of 1864.
von Langenbeck is perhaps best known today as the "father of the surgical residency". Under his tutellage at the Charite in Berlin, he conceived and developed a system whereby new medical graduates would live at the hospital as they gradually assumed a greater role in the day-to-day care and supervision of surgical patients. Among his most well-known "house staff" were such illustrious surgeons as Billroth and Kocher. The great achievement of his house-staff model was acknowledged by no less than Sir William Osler and William Halsted, who quickly co-opted his concept into the teaching system of the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, respectively, at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in the late 19th century.