Ludvig Hektoen
Encyclopedia
Ludvig Hektoen was a noted American pathologist
. Hektoen published widely and served as editor of a number of medical journals. In 1942, Hektoen received the American Medical Association
's Distinguished Service Medal for his life's work.
, Vernon County, Wisconsin
. He was the son of Peter P. and Olave Thorsgaard Hektoen. His father was a Lutheran
parochial school teacher. He attended the Monona Academy in Madison, Wisconsin
and graduated with a B.A.
degree in 1883 from Luther College
in Decorah, Iowa
. He entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons
in Chicago
, receiving his M.D.
degree in 1888. Between 1890 and 1895, he studied abroad in Upsala
, Prague
and Berlin
.
, where he served until 1903. In 1889, he was additionally made curator
of the museum
of Rush Medical College
and in 1890 physician
to the Coroner's Office of Cook County
and lecturer
in Pathology
at Rush Medical College. In 1898, Hektoen became professor
of Pathology at Rush Medical College and in 1901, professor and head of the Department of Pathology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He served in these dual capacities until 1932-1933, when he became professor emeritus.
In 1901, Hektoen was president of the American Association of Pathologists and Bacteriologists
and in 1929 of the Society of American Bacteriologists
. He served as chairman of the Division of the Medical Sciences of the National Research Council
in 1924, 1926, and 1929. From 1936 to 1938 he was also chairman of the National Research Council. He also served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public
, from 1935-1938. He was chairman of the Section on Pathology and Bacteriology in 1900 and 1901 and was a member of the House of Delegates in 1918 and in 1920 with the American Medical Association
. He served the United States Public Health Service
from 1934 to 1938 as a member of the National Health Council
and from 1937 to 1944 as executive director of the National Advisory Cancer Council.
From 1904 until 1941, he was editor of The Journal of Infectious Diseases
. In 1926 he became editor of the Archives of Pathology, serving until 1950. For many years he edited both the Transactions of the Chicago Pathological Society and the Proceedings of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago and served as editorial writer for the Journal of the American Medical Association
. In 1894 he wrote a book on post-mortem examination
and in 1901 he was co-editor of a textbook of pathology
.
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
. Hektoen published widely and served as editor of a number of medical journals. In 1942, Hektoen received the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
's Distinguished Service Medal for his life's work.
Background
Hektoen was born into a Norwegian immigrant community in WestbyWestby, Wisconsin
Westby is a city in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,045 at the 2000 census.-History:Westby was named after general store owner and Civil War Union soldier Ole T. Westby of Biri, Norway, where many of the city's Norwegian-American settlers originated...
, Vernon County, Wisconsin
Vernon County, Wisconsin
Vernon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 29,324. Its county seat is Viroqua.-History:...
. He was the son of Peter P. and Olave Thorsgaard Hektoen. His father was a Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
parochial school teacher. He attended the Monona Academy in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
and graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1883 from Luther College
Luther College (Iowa)
Luther College is a four-year, residential liberal arts institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Decorah, Iowa, USA...
in Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
. He entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons
University of Illinois College of Medicine
The University of Illinois College of Medicine offers a four-year program leading to the MD degree at four different sites in Illinois: Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana–Champaign....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, receiving his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree in 1888. Between 1890 and 1895, he studied abroad in Upsala
Upsala
Upsala may refer to:*Upsala Glacier, a glacier in Argentina*Uppsala, a city in Sweden, English exonym spelling**Gamla Uppsala, Old Upsala a village near the modern city, important centre in Norse mythology...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and 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...
.
Career
In 1889, Hektoen was appointed as pathologist in the Cook County HospitalJohn H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
The John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, formerly Cook County Hospital is a public urban teaching hospital in Chicago that provides primary, specialty and tertiary healthcare services to the five million residents of Cook County, Illinois. The hospital has a staff of 300 attending...
, where he served until 1903. In 1889, he was additionally made curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...
and in 1890 physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
to the Coroner's Office of Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in Pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
at Rush Medical College. In 1898, Hektoen became professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Pathology at Rush Medical College and in 1901, professor and head of the Department of Pathology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He served in these dual capacities until 1932-1933, when he became professor emeritus.
In 1901, Hektoen was president of the American Association of Pathologists and Bacteriologists
American Association of Pathologists and Bacteriologists
The American Association of Pathologists and Bacteriologists was an American national professional association established in 1901, devoted to the medical sciences as distinct from clinical medicine...
and in 1929 of the Society of American Bacteriologists
American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. Microbiology is the study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye and which must be viewed with a...
. He served as chairman of the Division of the Medical Sciences of the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
in 1924, 1926, and 1929. From 1936 to 1938 he was also chairman of the National Research Council. He also served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public , formerly known as Science Service, is a 5013 non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of science, through its science education programs and publications, including the weekly Science News magazine.Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization...
, from 1935-1938. He was chairman of the Section on Pathology and Bacteriology in 1900 and 1901 and was a member of the House of Delegates in 1918 and in 1920 with the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
. He served the United States Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
from 1934 to 1938 as a member of the National Health Council
National Health Council
The National Health Council is a nonprofit association of health organizations.Its members are national health-related organizations, including leading patient advocacy groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the...
and from 1937 to 1944 as executive director of the National Advisory Cancer Council.
From 1904 until 1941, he was editor of The Journal of Infectious Diseases
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
The Journal of Infectious Diseases is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. It covers research on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases, on the microbes that cause them, and on immune...
. In 1926 he became editor of the Archives of Pathology, serving until 1950. For many years he edited both the Transactions of the Chicago Pathological Society and the Proceedings of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago and served as editorial writer for the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
. In 1894 he wrote a book on post-mortem examination
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
and in 1901 he was co-editor of a textbook of pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
.
Selected works
- The Technique of Post-Mortem Examination (1894)
- Segmentation and fragmentation of the myocardium (1897)
- The development of medicine: Address introductory to the fifty-fifth annual course in Rush Medical College (1897)
- A Text-Book of Pathology for the use of students and practitioners of medicine and surgery (1901)
- Phagocytosis and opsonins (Proceedings of the New York pathological Society (1906)
- On the formation and fate of antibodies (1909)
- The History of Experimental Scarlet Fever In Man (1923)
- The Determination of the Infectious Nature of Acute Endocarditis (1930)
- Early Pathology in Chicago and Christian Fenger (1937)
Other sources
- Cannon, Paul R. Ludvig Hektoen, Pathologist. 1863—1951 A Biographical Memoir. Washington D. C., National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoirs Vol. XXVIII. 1954.
- Fishbein, Morris. Ludvig Hektoen—A Biography and an Appreciation. Archives of Pathology 26:1-31. 1938.
- Herrick, James B. Ludvig Hektoen Proceedings of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago 19:3-11. 1952.
- Peterson, John. Ludvig Hektoen: A Norwegian American. 1980.
- Simonds, James P. Ludvig Hektoen: A Study in Changing Scientific Interests. Proceedings of The Institute of Medicine of Chicago 14:284-287. 1942.