Gustav Ricker
Encyclopedia
Gustav Wilhelm August Josef Ricker (November 2, 1870 – September 23, 1948) was a German physician and pathologist born in Hadamar
, Hesse-Nassau.
He studied philosophy
and medicine at several universities, earning his doctorate in 1893 at the University of Berlin. In 1897 he received his habilitation under Albert Thierfelder
(1842-1908) at the University of Rostock
, and from 1906 until 1933 was head of pathology at the city hospitals (Altstadt and Sudenburg) in Magdeburg
. Afterwards he worked as a private scholar in Berlin
and Dresden
.
Ricker is remembered for his concept of Stufengesetz, a law of stages in which different neural stimulations cause different changes of flow in the capillaries, and also Relationspathologie (relational pathology), in which he maintains that the root of pathological processes are a neural process and not a cellular process.
Today in Magdeburg, Gustav-Ricker-Straße and Gustav-Ricker-Krankenhaus are named in his honor.
Hadamar
Hadamar is a small town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany.Hadamar is known for its Clinic for Forensic Psychiatry/Centre for Social Psychiatry, lying at the edge of town, in whose outlying buildings is also found the Hadamar Memorial...
, Hesse-Nassau.
He studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and medicine at several universities, earning his doctorate in 1893 at the University of Berlin. In 1897 he received his habilitation under Albert Thierfelder
Albert Thierfelder
Ferdinand Albert Thierfelder was a German pathologist born in Meissen. He was the son of Stadtphysikus Johann Gottlieb Thierfelder , and was a younger brother to internist Theodor Thierfelder ....
(1842-1908) at the University of Rostock
University of Rostock
The University of Rostock is the university of the city Rostock, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.Founded in 1419, it is the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area...
, and from 1906 until 1933 was head of pathology at the city hospitals (Altstadt and Sudenburg) in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. Afterwards he worked as a private scholar in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
Ricker is remembered for his concept of Stufengesetz, a law of stages in which different neural stimulations cause different changes of flow in the capillaries, and also Relationspathologie (relational pathology), in which he maintains that the root of pathological processes are a neural process and not a cellular process.
Today in Magdeburg, Gustav-Ricker-Straße and Gustav-Ricker-Krankenhaus are named in his honor.
Selected publications
- Entwurf einer Relationspathologie, 1905
- Grundlinien einer Logik der Physiologie als reiner Naturwissenschaft, 1912
- Pathologie als Naturwissenschaft – Relationspathologie – Für Pathologen, Physiologen, Mediziner und Biologen, 1924
- Wissenschaftstheoretische Aufsätze für Ärzte, 1936