Paul Rohmer
Encyclopedia
Paul Rohmer was an Alsacian
physician
considered the father of modern pædiatrics in eastern France
after World War I
.
, Alsace-Lorraine
, part of the German Empire
, to the farmer Albert Rohmer (1846–1912) and Marie-Elizabeth Metz (1850–1935). He became a physician
after passing his thesis in Strasbourg
in 1901. He worked some years in Cologne
and Marburg
inside Germany, and militated rapidly in order that pediatrics integrate medicine progress and social education of young mothers.
During World War I
, Rohmer was a German MD
officer
at the military hospital of Metz
. Some of his famous Prussian
colleagues asked him to sign the Manifesto of the Ninety-Three
in 1914, but his pro-French feelings made him refuse to sign it. After the Allies
victory in 1918, he became the first Professor of Pediatrics at the French Medicine College of Strasbourg, which became part of France
again after the war.
In 1920, Rohmer created the "Alsatian
and Lorrainian
Association of Nursery", the first one in France. The impacts of the work of this association were so huge that in 1945, more were created in France, on this model, the "National Mother and Childhood Protection" (also known as PMI ).
Rohmer was a pioneer in research into prematurity, poliomyelitis
, tuberculosis
, osteomalacia
and vitamin C
. He was the director of the pediatric clinic of Strasbourg until his retirement in 1947, and made it famous all around Europe
. In 1946, he wrote with Robert Debré
a famous manual entitled "Traité de Pathologie Infantile" (2,500 pages, two volumes) which became a reference for a whole generation of pediatricians. During his career, he was the physician of famous children, including those of the King of Belgium, of Konrad Adenauer
, and of Pierre Pflimlin
.
Despite his retirement at age 70 in 1947, Rohmer continued until age 100 to participate actively to his research dealing with childhood and teenagers. He died in Strasbourg
in 1977. A street in the city is now called "Pr Paul Rohmer" to honor him.
Rohmer has a family connection with François-Joseph Offenstein (1760–1837), a general during the Napoleonic Wars
and the First French Empire
.
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
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...
considered the father of modern pædiatrics in eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Life
Rohmer was born in HuttenheimHuttenheim
Huttenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:The village can trace its recorded history back to the seventh century....
, Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
, part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, to the farmer Albert Rohmer (1846–1912) and Marie-Elizabeth Metz (1850–1935). He became a 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...
after passing his thesis in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in 1901. He worked some years in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
inside Germany, and militated rapidly in order that pediatrics integrate medicine progress and social education of young mothers.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Rohmer was a German MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
officer
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
at the military hospital of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
. Some of his famous Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
colleagues asked him to sign the Manifesto of the Ninety-Three
Manifesto of the Ninety-Three
The "Manifesto of the Ninety-Three" is the name commonly given to a 1914 proclamation endorsed by 93 prominent German scientists, scholars and artists, declaring their unequivocal support of German military actions in the early period of World War I. These actions were elsewhere called the Rape of...
in 1914, but his pro-French feelings made him refuse to sign it. After the Allies
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
victory in 1918, he became the first Professor of Pediatrics at the French Medicine College of Strasbourg, which became part of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
again after the war.
In 1920, Rohmer created the "Alsatian
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and Lorrainian
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
Association of Nursery", the first one in France. The impacts of the work of this association were so huge that in 1945, more were created in France, on this model, the "National Mother and Childhood Protection" (also known as PMI ).
Rohmer was a pioneer in research into prematurity, poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
, tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, osteomalacia
Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia is the softening of the bones caused by defective bone mineralization secondary to inadequate amounts of available phosphorus and calcium, or because of overactive resorption of calcium from the bone as a result of hyperparathyroidism...
and vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
. He was the director of the pediatric clinic of Strasbourg until his retirement in 1947, and made it famous all around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 1946, he wrote with Robert Debré
Robert Debré
Robert Debré was a French physician at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris.He gave his name to the most important ....
a famous manual entitled "Traité de Pathologie Infantile" (2,500 pages, two volumes) which became a reference for a whole generation of pediatricians. During his career, he was the physician of famous children, including those of the King of Belgium, of Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
, and of Pierre Pflimlin
Pierre Pflimlin
Pierre Eugène Jean Pflimlin was a French Christian democratic politician who served as the penultimate Prime Minister of the Fourth Republic for a few weeks in 1958, before being replaced by Charles de Gaulle during the crisis of that year.-Life:...
.
Despite his retirement at age 70 in 1947, Rohmer continued until age 100 to participate actively to his research dealing with childhood and teenagers. He died in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in 1977. A street in the city is now called "Pr Paul Rohmer" to honor him.
Family
In February 1904, Rohmer married Marie Louise Kieffer (1880–1962), with whom he had three children: Laurent (in 1904), Anne-Marie (in 1906), and Marie-Thérèse (in 1908). The third child died a few weeks after her birth due to an unknown infection. This reinforced the single-mindedness of Rohmer to fight against the birth-death rate and prematurity.Rohmer has a family connection with François-Joseph Offenstein (1760–1837), a general during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
.
Honour
- A street of StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
is called "Pr Paul Rohmer" to honor him. - Officer of the Legion of Honor
- Commander of the National French Order of MeritOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
- Commander of the Order of the CrownOrder of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
(BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) - Knight of the Order of LéopoldOrder of LéopoldThe Order of Leopold is one of the three Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civilian division...
(BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) - Many others European distinctions
Books & References
- On Paul Rohmer :
- By Paul Rohmer :
- "Traité de Pathologie infantile", by Paul Rohmer and Robert DebréRobert DebréRobert Debré was a French physician at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris.He gave his name to the most important ....
, 1946, 2500 pages, Volume I et II - "Über Knochenbildung in verkalkten endocarditischen und endarteriitischen Herden" , by Paul Rohmer, (October 1901), Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, ISBN 0945-6317
- "Traité de Pathologie infantile", by Paul Rohmer and Robert Debré