Ádám Politzer
Encyclopedia
Adam Politzer was a Hungarian
and Austrian physician
and one of the pioneers and founders of otology
.
, to a well-to-do Jewish family.
He studied medicine
in the University of Vienna
. Some of his teachers belonged to the famous Second "Vienna School
", such as Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky
(1804–1878) and Josef Skoda
(1805–1881) (its founders), as well as Joseph Hyrtl (1810–1894), Johann Ritter von Oppolzer
(1808–1871), and the famous physiologist Carl Ludwig
(1816–1895). The last two took interest in Politzer and were influential in his subsequent career.
Politzer received his M.D.
in 1859 and started to work in Carl Ludwig's laboratory. His interest since that time was mainly the physics
of the auditory system
. There, he was the first to demonstrate physiologically that the innervation of the tensor tympani muscle was by the trigeminal nerve
and that the innervation of the stapedial muscle was by the facial nerve
. In another series of experiments, Politzer connected two manometers, one placed in the external auditory canal meatus and another in the pharynx
, in order to study air movements through the Eustachian tube
. In 1861, he published his first results on a new technique based on this knowledge, to treat internal ear diseases by insufflating the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, which obviated the need of its catheter
ization. This came to be known as politzerisation
. In the subsequent decades, the technique was widely adopted throughout the world, bringing fame to Politzer.
In the following year, Politzer travelled to other centers and countries, seeking to increase the depth of his practical training. Thus, he worked consecutively with Anton Friedrich Freiherr von Troeltsch (1829–1890) and physiologist Heinrich Müller
, in Würzburg
; Hermann Helmholtz
(1821–1894) in Heidelberg
. He also went to Paris, France, to study with Rudolf Körni, Prosper Ménière
, the "father of physiology", Claude Bernard
(1813–1878) and with physicist Karl Rudolf König (1832–1901). He also studied microscopic
anatomy of the labyrinth
with Albert von Kölliker
(1817–1905) in Würzburg, and ear surgery with Joseph Toynbee
(1815–1866) in London, England.
Returning to Vienna in 1861, Adam Politzer became a professor of otology
at the University of Vienna with the support of von Oppolzer. Two years later, in 1863, he opened a private otological clinic with Josef Gruber (1827–1900), which soon began to attract patients from all over the world. In 1864 Politzer was allowed by the government to treat indigent patients at the charity hospital as well as in the homes for elderly. He and Gruber received the title of professor extraordinarius in 1870 and were appointed to the rank of a joint directorship to a new clinic in the Vienna General Hospital
, in the next year (the first of its kind in the world). In 1895 Politzer won a full professorship and became the sole director of the clinic in 1889, until 1907. He died 13 years later, in 1920, at the age of 85, celebrated as one of the pioneers of modern otology in the history of medicine
, but unfortunately in a poor financial condition, due to the economic crisis in Austria after the country was defeated in the First World War.
and treatment of ear diseases. He developed several surgical instruments
which bear his name for the operation of the outer and the inner ear structures, such as an ear perforator, a surgical knife, a grommet
for the ventilation of the inner ear after paracentesis
, as well as a method to restore permeability to the Eustachian tube by using an insufflator made out of a pear-shaped rubber bag ("politzerisation" or Politzer's method). He also devised methods and apparatuses to examine the outer ear canal and tympanic membrane (Politzer's otoscope), a speculum
and a qualitative test for the function of the Eustachian tube. In the field of hearing
, Politzer devised an acoumeter for measuring hearing acuity and at least two early acoustical hearing aids.
Furthermore, he revolutionized the clinical diagnosis of aural diseases by the inspection of the illuminated tympanic membrane (which led to the current otoscope
), and developed the first illustrated atlas of the tympanic membrane in health and disease, with color drawings made by himself. Politzer also wrote one of the most outstanding and authoritative textbooks on otology of the century, the Lehrbuch der Ohrenheilkunde, in 1878. With von Troeltsch and Hermann Schwartze
, he founded Archiv für Ohrenheilkunde, the first journal dedicated to ear disorders.
A great anatomist of the auditory system
, Politzer wrote and illustrated extensively on it, and left a remarkable collection of anatomic and pathological
specimens in Vienna, which were donated to the Anatomy and Pathology Museum. The luminous cone of the tympanic membrane is named after him, as well as the Unna-Politzer naevus, a typical birthmark
found on the nape of the neck in 25 to 50% of normal persons. In addition, in 1893 Politzer was the first to describe otosclerosis
as a separate clinical entity. He also studied the pathology of cholesteatoma
, serous otitis media
, labyrinthitis
, congenital deafness and intracranial complications of otitis media.
One of his biographers, Albert Mudry, stated that Politzer was "the greatest otologist of the 19th century and one of the greatest of all time (...) he covered all fields of otology". He influenced and trained thousands of otologists from over the world, and his most famous successor was Robert Bárány
, who received the Nobel Prize
for medicine in 1914.
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
and Austrian 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...
and one of the pioneers and founders of otology
Otology
Otology is a branch of biomedicine which studies normal and pathological anatomy and physiology of the ear as well as its diseases, diagnosis and treatment....
.
Life
Adam Politzer was born in Alberti (now part of Albertirsa), near the city of BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, to a well-to-do Jewish family.
He studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. Some of his teachers belonged to the famous Second "Vienna School
Second Viennese School
The Second Viennese School is the group of composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils and close associates in early 20th century Vienna, where he lived and taught, sporadically, between 1903 and 1925...
", such as Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky
Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky
Baron Carl von Rokitansky , was a Bohemian physician, pathologist, humanist philosopher and liberal politician.-Medical career:...
(1804–1878) and Josef Skoda
Josef Škoda
Joseph Škoda was a Czech physician, medical professor and dermatologist. Together with Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky, he was the founder of the Modern Medical School of Vienna.-Life:...
(1805–1881) (its founders), as well as Joseph Hyrtl (1810–1894), Johann Ritter von Oppolzer
Johann Ritter von Oppolzer
Johann Ritter von Oppolzer was an Austrian physician born in Nové Hrady, Bohemia. He was the father of the astronomer Theodor von Oppolzer ....
(1808–1871), and the famous physiologist Carl Ludwig
Carl Ludwig
----Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig was a German physician and physiologist.In 1842 Ludwig became a professor of physiology and in 1846 of comparative anatomy...
(1816–1895). The last two took interest in Politzer and were influential in his subsequent career.
Politzer received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1859 and started to work in Carl Ludwig's laboratory. His interest since that time was mainly the physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
of the auditory system
Auditory system
The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing.- Outer ear :The folds of cartilage surrounding the ear canal are called the pinna...
. There, he was the first to demonstrate physiologically that the innervation of the tensor tympani muscle was by the trigeminal nerve
Trigeminal nerve
The trigeminal nerve contains both sensory and motor fibres. It is responsible for sensation in the face and certain motor functions such as biting, chewing, and swallowing. Sensory information from the face and body is processed by parallel pathways in the central nervous system...
and that the innervation of the stapedial muscle was by the facial nerve
Facial nerve
The facial nerve is the seventh of twelve paired cranial nerves. It emerges from the brainstem between the pons and the medulla, and controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and oral cavity...
. In another series of experiments, Politzer connected two manometers, one placed in the external auditory canal meatus and another in the pharynx
Pharynx
The human pharynx is the part of the throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and anterior to the esophagus and larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx , the oropharynx , and the laryngopharynx...
, in order to study air movements through the Eustachian tube
Eustachian tube
The Eustachian tube is a tube that links the nasopharynx to the middle ear. It is a part of the middle ear. In adult humans the Eustachian tube is approximately 35 mm long. It is named after the sixteenth-century anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi...
. In 1861, he published his first results on a new technique based on this knowledge, to treat internal ear diseases by insufflating the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, which obviated the need of its catheter
Catheter
In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization...
ization. This came to be known as politzerisation
Politzerization
Politzerization, also called the Politzer maneuver or method, is a medical procedure that involves inflating the middle ear by blowing air up the nose during the act of swallowing...
. In the subsequent decades, the technique was widely adopted throughout the world, bringing fame to Politzer.
In the following year, Politzer travelled to other centers and countries, seeking to increase the depth of his practical training. Thus, he worked consecutively with Anton Friedrich Freiherr von Troeltsch (1829–1890) and physiologist Heinrich Müller
Heinrich Müller (physiologist)
Heinrich Müller was a German anatomist and professor at the University of Würzburg. He is best known for his work in comparative anatomy and his studies involving the eye.He was a native of Castell, Lower Franconia...
, in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
; Hermann Helmholtz
Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz was a German physician and physicist who made significant contributions to several widely varied areas of modern science...
(1821–1894) in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. He also went to Paris, France, to study with Rudolf Körni, Prosper Ménière
Prosper Ménière
Prosper Ménière , born in Angers, France. Ménière was lycée and university educated where he excelled at humanities and classics. He completed his gold medal in medical studies at Hôtel-Dieu de Paris in 1826, and his M.D...
, the "father of physiology", Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard was a French physiologist. He was the first to define the term milieu intérieur . Historian of science I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard "one of the greatest of all men of science"...
(1813–1878) and with physicist Karl Rudolf König (1832–1901). He also studied microscopic
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
anatomy of the labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
with Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker was a Swiss anatomist and physiologist.-Biography:Albert Kölliker was born in Zurich, Switzerland. His early education was carried on in Zurich, and he entered the university there in 1836...
(1817–1905) in Würzburg, and ear surgery with Joseph Toynbee
Joseph Toynbee
Joseph Toynbee was an English otologist, whose career was dedicated to pathological and anatomical studies of the ear.He was born in Heckington, Lincolnshire in 1815....
(1815–1866) in London, England.
Returning to Vienna in 1861, Adam Politzer became a professor of otology
Otology
Otology is a branch of biomedicine which studies normal and pathological anatomy and physiology of the ear as well as its diseases, diagnosis and treatment....
at the University of Vienna with the support of von Oppolzer. Two years later, in 1863, he opened a private otological clinic with Josef Gruber (1827–1900), which soon began to attract patients from all over the world. In 1864 Politzer was allowed by the government to treat indigent patients at the charity hospital as well as in the homes for elderly. He and Gruber received the title of professor extraordinarius in 1870 and were appointed to the rank of a joint directorship to a new clinic in the Vienna General Hospital
Vienna General Hospital
The Vienna General Hospital is the University medical center of the city of Vienna, Austria. The AKH is the largest hospital of Austria and Europe, the second largest hospital in the world, and at 85-m high is one of the tallest hospital buildings in the world...
, in the next year (the first of its kind in the world). In 1895 Politzer won a full professorship and became the sole director of the clinic in 1889, until 1907. He died 13 years later, in 1920, at the age of 85, celebrated as one of the pioneers of modern otology in the history of medicine
History of medicine
All human societies have medical beliefs that provide explanations for birth, death, and disease. Throughout history, illness has been attributed to witchcraft, demons, astral influence, or the will of the gods...
, but unfortunately in a poor financial condition, due to the economic crisis in Austria after the country was defeated in the First World War.
Works
Politzer was a prolific inventor of new medical devices for the diagnosisDiagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
and treatment of ear diseases. He developed several surgical instruments
Surgical instruments
A surgical instrument is a specially designed tool or device for performing specific actions of carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of surgical instruments and tools...
which bear his name for the operation of the outer and the inner ear structures, such as an ear perforator, a surgical knife, a grommet
Grommet
thumb|right|250px|Some rubber grommets.A grommet is a ring inserted into a hole through thin material, such as fabric. Grommets are generally flared or collared on each side to keep them in place, and are often made of metal, plastic, or rubber. They may be used to prevent tearing or abrasion of...
for the ventilation of the inner ear after paracentesis
Paracentesis
Paracentesis is a medical procedure involving needle drainage of fluid from a body cavity, most commonly the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen.A related procedure is thoracocentesis, which is needle drainage of the chest cavity...
, as well as a method to restore permeability to the Eustachian tube by using an insufflator made out of a pear-shaped rubber bag ("politzerisation" or Politzer's method). He also devised methods and apparatuses to examine the outer ear canal and tympanic membrane (Politzer's otoscope), a speculum
Speculum
The term speculum, Latin for "mirror", and its plural specula, may refer to:* Speculum , a medical tool used for examining body cavities* Speculum , a journal of medieval studies published by the Medieval Academy of America...
and a qualitative test for the function of the Eustachian tube. In the field of hearing
Hearing (sense)
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
, Politzer devised an acoumeter for measuring hearing acuity and at least two early acoustical hearing aids.
Furthermore, he revolutionized the clinical diagnosis of aural diseases by the inspection of the illuminated tympanic membrane (which led to the current otoscope
Otoscope
thumb|right|200px|Otoscope - Image of an otoscope thumb|200px|Anatomy of the human ear.thumb|200px|Right tympanic membrane as seen through a speculum.An Otoscope or auriscope is a medical device which is used to look into the ears...
), and developed the first illustrated atlas of the tympanic membrane in health and disease, with color drawings made by himself. Politzer also wrote one of the most outstanding and authoritative textbooks on otology of the century, the Lehrbuch der Ohrenheilkunde, in 1878. With von Troeltsch and Hermann Schwartze
Hermann Schwartze
Hermann Hugo Rudolf Schwartze was a German aurist, born at Neuhof in Pomerania and educated in Berlin and Würzburg...
, he founded Archiv für Ohrenheilkunde, the first journal dedicated to ear disorders.
A great anatomist of the auditory system
Auditory system
The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing.- Outer ear :The folds of cartilage surrounding the ear canal are called the pinna...
, Politzer wrote and illustrated extensively on it, and left a remarkable collection of anatomic and pathological
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....
specimens in Vienna, which were donated to the Anatomy and Pathology Museum. The luminous cone of the tympanic membrane is named after him, as well as the Unna-Politzer naevus, a typical birthmark
Birthmark
A birthmark is a benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth, usually in the first month. They can occur anywhere on the skin. Birthmarks are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocytes, smooth muscle, fat, fibroblasts, or...
found on the nape of the neck in 25 to 50% of normal persons. In addition, in 1893 Politzer was the first to describe otosclerosis
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is an abnormal growth of bone near the middle ear. It can result in hearing loss.-Clinical description:Otosclerosis can result in conductive and/or sensorineural hearing loss...
as a separate clinical entity. He also studied the pathology of cholesteatoma
Cholesteatoma
Cholesteatoma is a destructive and expanding growth consisting of keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear and/or mastoid process.-Signs and symptoms:...
, serous otitis media
Otitis media
Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or a middle ear infection.It occurs in the area between the tympanic membrane and the inner ear, including a duct known as the eustachian tube. It is one of the two categories of ear inflammation that can underlie what is commonly called an earache,...
, labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the inner ear, and a form of unilateral vestibular dysfunction. It derives its name from the labyrinths that house the vestibular system . Labyrinthitis can cause balance disorders....
, congenital deafness and intracranial complications of otitis media.
One of his biographers, Albert Mudry, stated that Politzer was "the greatest otologist of the 19th century and one of the greatest of all time (...) he covered all fields of otology". He influenced and trained thousands of otologists from over the world, and his most famous successor was Robert Bárány
Robert Bárány
Robert Bárány was a Austro-Hungarian otologist. For his work on the physiology and pathology of the vestibular apparatus of the ear he received the 1914 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.- Biography :...
, who received the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for medicine in 1914.
External links
- Adam Politzer. WhoNamedIt
- Adam Politzer. ENTLink
- Mudry, A. The Role of Adam Politzer in the History of Otology. Am. J. Otol. 21:753-763,2000
- Adam Politzer Society