Emil theodur kocher biography of abraham lincoln
Emil Theodor Kocher
| Surgeon, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Date of Birth: Country: Germany |
Biography of Emil Theodor Kocher
Emil Theodor Kocher, a Swiss surgeon and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in , was born in Bern into a well-off middle-class family.
Emil theodur kocher biography of abraham lincoln Retrieved 6 December Issue date Sep. Early in his career he also began systematising the technique of goiter extirpation. In Berlin, he studied under Bernhard von Langenbeck and applied for an assistant position with Langenbeck and Rudolf Virchow.His father, Jakob Alexander Kocher, was an engineer who instilled in him a strong work ethic. His mother, Maria Kocher (Vermeut), was a religious woman who fostered his lifelong interest in philosophy and religion. Kocher completed his primary and secondary education in Bern and then enrolled in the medical school at the University of Bern, where he graduated with honors in
Thanks to his family's financial situation, Kocher was able to travel and learn from renowned European surgeons.
He spent five years studying surgery in Vienna, Paris, Berlin, and finally London under the guidance of English surgeon Sir Joseph Lister. Lister's experiences with high postoperative infection rates and mortality rates inspired him to develop surgical antisepsis. Previously, surgeons would enter the operating room directly from the hospital ward or autopsy room, where they could work with contaminated objects and corpses.
In addition, they operated in everyday clothing, without sterile gloves and without washing their hands. Learning about Louis Pasteur's experiments on bacterial theory of disease, Lister hypothesized that postoperative wound infections could be caused by bacteria introduced into the wound from dirty instruments due to careless surgical techniques.
Emil theodur kocher biography of abraham lincoln for kids Despite attempts to persuade him to move to Prague, Vienna and Berlin, Kocher remained in Bern, and was active there until his death on 27 July Notes [ edit ]. In , Kocher was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work on the physiology, pathology, and surgery of the thyroid gland. Later his family moved back to Bern where he went to middle and high school Realschule and Literaturgymnasium where he was the first of his class.Initially, Lister's theory was not well received by his colleagues, but he started implementing antiseptic methods in the operating room, such as having surgeons wash their hands and forearms before surgery, disinfecting surgical instruments in carbolic acid solution, and wearing surgical gowns and gloves. The reduction in postoperative infections in patients convinced Lister's colleagues of the importance of antisepsis.
During his surgical internship under Lister, Kocher became a proponent of antisepsis in surgery.
In Vienna, Kocher studied surgery under Theodor Billroth, who developed techniques for gastrointestinal tract operations still used in the surgical treatment of stomach diseases. Kocher assisted Billroth in surgeries, studied the causes of postoperative wound infections, and performed autopsies to establish connections between clinical manifestations and pathological changes in certain diseases.
Additionally, Kocher invented several surgical instruments, including the Kocher clamp, which is still used in vascular surgery. Kocher's modesty and inventiveness earned him a high reputation. Recognizing Kocher's knowledge and surgical skills, Billroth invited him to work at the Vienna clinic after completing his training. While the offer was flattering, Kocher wrote to his friend in Switzerland, "My heart commands me to return to my homeland and share with my fellow citizens the skills and knowledge I have acquired in medicine." Taking charge of his own destiny, Kocher returned to Bern in
Two years later, Kocher became a professor of surgery and director of the surgical clinic at the University of Bern.
Here, he was able to apply Lister's antiseptic methods and Billroth's impeccable surgical technique. Spending hours in the operating room, Kocher performed operations on the organs of the chest and abdominal cavities: repairing inguinal hernias, operating on trauma, fractures, and dislocations, and even performing neurosurgical operations.
Additionally, he conducted biochemical, bacteriological, and clinico-pathological research. Kocher developed an original method for treating wounds with chlorine solutions and a method for trepanning the skull in the treatment of certain head injuries and diseases; this method involved surgically removing a small part of the skull to reduce intracranial pressure.
Biography of abraham lincoln books During nearly semesters he taught his knowledge to about 10 students of the University of Bern. These interests have led him to become recognised as a pioneer of organ transplantation. During his travels, he did not only learn novel techniques but also got to know leading surgeons in person and learned to speak English fluently which allowed him later on to follow the scientific progress in the English speaking world with ease. He made major contributions to the fields of applied surgery, neurosurgery and, especially, thyroid surgery and endocrinology.Furthermore, Kocher described the conditions necessary for the treatment of surgical wounds, including antiseptic methods, and became an authoritative specialist in the treatment of gunshot wounds. At the International Medical Congress in Rome, Kocher presented an overview of his clinical and experimental work and later published two books on the subject: "On Gunshot Wounds" () and "The Theory of Gunshot Wounds Due to Projectiles of Small Caliber" ().
His book "Theory of Surgical Operations" went through six editions, was translated into many languages, and became a widely used textbook on surgery in the USA and Europe. His other articles and books addressed the treatment of various diseases, including acute osteomyelitis (inflammatory bone and bone marrow disease) and surgical treatment of stomach diseases, peptic ulcers, gallbladder diseases, rectal cancer, epilepsy, and inguinal hernias.
However, Kocher's main contribution was in studying the function of the thyroid gland and developing surgical methods for treating its diseases, including various types of goiter.
At that time, it was believed that the thyroid gland did not have any important biological function, so when treating goiter, the thyroid gland was often completely removed, with little attention given to the four parathyroid glands located near it.
Emil theodur kocher biography of abraham lincoln author From , he implanted human thyroid tissue, attempting to correct the loss of postulated thyroid functions which he later assessed with a blood test. Who was Emil Theodor Kocher? Kocher's modesty and inventiveness earned him a high reputation. Three main factors contributed to Kocher's success as a surgeon, according to Bonjour(These four glands, located at the four corners of the thyroid gland, play a crucial role in regulating calcium metabolism in bones and other tissues of the body.) Today, it is known that the thyroid gland produces and releases the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine into the blood. These hormones are extremely important for regulating cellular metabolism, including oxygen consumption, energy metabolism, and carbon dioxide production.
If the thyroid gland produces too much hormones, the level of cellular metabolism and respiration becomes pathologically increased, leading to a condition called hyperthyroidism. Conversely, if these hormones are produced too little, the intensity of cellular metabolism and respiration decreases, leading to hypothyroidism in adults and cretinism in children.
In cases where the diet is low in iodine, the thyroid tissue enlarges, resulting in a goiter. If the thyroid gland becomes very large, it compresses the nerves innervating the vocal cords, trachea, and other surrounding tissues. Furthermore, goiter leads to cosmetic deformities.
In the early days of his medical career, Kocher, following traditional surgical methods, removed the entire thyroid gland.
However, he soon discovered that such patients developed a condition similar to cretinism. Cretinism is a disease caused by a lack of thyroid hormone secretion.
Biography of john f. kennedy: He made major contributions to the fields of applied surgery, neurosurgery and, especially, thyroid surgery and endocrinology. A number of instruments for example the craniometer [ 18 ] and surgical techniques for example, the Kocher manoeuvre , and kocher incision are named after him, as well as the Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome. Career [ edit ]. Wilhelm Ostwald Germany.
It is characterized by physical and mental developmental retardation, bone and soft tissue dystrophy, and a decrease in metabolic rate. In adults, this condition is called myxedema. "As a rule," Kocher wrote, "patients begin to complain of fatigue, weakness, drowsiness, slow thinking and speech, motor sluggishness, facial, hand, and foot swelling If we want to describe such a condition in any way, we cannot help but acknowledge its similarity to cretinism." These observations were extremely important because Kocher not only demonstrated the function of the thyroid gland but also identified the causes of cretinism and myxedema.
Furthermore, he found that if the thyroid gland was not completely removed in patients operated on for goiter, hypothyroidism did not develop. He also emphasized the need to preserve the parathyroid glands and handle the nerves innervating the vocal cords with care.
Throughout his many years of surgical practice, Kocher performed over 5, thyroidectomies (thyroid removal surgeries) and became a leading European specialist in thyroid surgery. Additionally, he conducted research on biochemical changes in hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, which were not directly related to surgical practice. In the early 20th century, German biochemist Eugen Baumann proposed using raw extract of thyroid tissue to treat patients with myxedema and cretinism.
Today, thyroid hormones are used in the treatment of these conditions.
In , Kocher was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work on the physiology, pathology, and surgery of the thyroid gland." In his congratulatory speech, Carl Merner, a scientist from the Karolinska Institute, said, "Through his research, Kocher has done pioneering work, and the results of his work will continue to hold their value and have significant importance for medical science and suffering humanity." Kocher was married to Maria Witschi, and they had three children, one of whom became a surgeon and assisted his father in his work.
Kocher passed away in in Bern.
Kocher was an honorary member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London and many medical societies worldwide. In , he was elected president of the German Surgical Society, and three years later, he became the president of the First International Surgical Congress in Brussels.