Hermann Sahli was a Swiss internist who was a native of Bern. In 1878 he earned his doctorate from the University of Bern, and subsequently became an assistant to Ludwig Lichtheim

Ludwig Lichtheim

Ludwig Lichtheim was a German physician. He was educated at the gymnasium in Breslau, and studied medicine at the universities of Berlin, Zurich, and Breslau, graduating in 1868...

 (1845-1915) in Bern. Afterwards he traveled to Leipzig

Leipzig

Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...

, where he worked under Julius Friedrich Cohnheim (1839-1884) and Carl Weigert (1845-1904). He returned to Bern as an assistant at Lichtheim's policlinic, and in 1888 became a professor of internal medicine

Internal medicine

Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...

.

Hermann Sahli was involved in almost all aspects of internal medicine, and made contributions in the fields of neurology

Neurology

Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...

, circulatory physiology

Physiology

Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...

, hematology

Hematology

Hematology, also spelled haematology , is the branch of biology physiology, internal medicine, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases...

, and particularly hemodynamics

Hemodynamics

Hemodynamics, meaning literally "blood movement" is the study of blood flow or the circulation.All animal cells require oxygen for the conversion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins into carbon dioxide , water and energy in a process known as aerobic respiration...

. He made improvements to the sphygmomanometer

Sphygmomanometer

A sphygmomanometer or blood pressure meter is a device used to measure blood pressure, comprising an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure. It is always used in conjunction with a means to determine at what pressure blood flow is just...

, and introduced "Sahli's hemoglobinometer", an instrument used for colorimetric determination of the blood's hemoglobin

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of all vertebrates, with the exception of the fish family Channichthyidae, as well as the tissues of some invertebrates...

 content. His name is also associated with the "Sahli pipette

Pipette

A pipette is a laboratory tool used to transport a measured volume of liquid.-Use and variations:Pipettes are commonly used in molecular biology, analytical chemistry as well as medical tests...

 method" for performing red blood cell

Red blood cell

Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate organism's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood flow through the circulatory system...

 counts, as well as the "Hayem-Sahli hemocytometer

Hemocytometer

The hemocytometer or haemocytometer is a device originally designed for the counting of blood cells. It is now also used to count other types of cells as well as other microscopic particles....

", which is a device used to find the quantity of platelet

Platelet

Platelets, or thrombocytes , are small,irregularly shaped clear cell fragments , 2–3 µm in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes.  The average lifespan of a platelet is normally just 5 to 9 days...

s in a specified volume of blood. This device is named in conjunction with hematologist Georges Hayem

Georges Hayem

Georges Hayem was a physician and hematologist who was a native of Paris. He studied medicine in Paris, and later became a professor of therapy and materia medica. From 1878 until 1911 he practiced medicine at the Hôpital Tenon, and afterwards was associated with the Hôpital St...

 (1841-1933).

Sahli was the author of over 175 scientific articles, and in 1894 published an important book on clinical investigation methodologies called Lehrbuch der klinischen Untersuchungsmethoden. His name is also associated with "2088 Sahlia

2088 Sahlia

2088 Sahlia is a main-belt asteroid discovered on February 27, 1976 by P. Wild at Zimmerwald.- External links :*...

", which is an asteroid

Asteroid

Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...

that was discovered in 1976.