Wilhelm His, Sr.
| Wilhelm His, Sr. | |
|---|---|
 Wilhelm His, Sr.
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| Born | July 9, 1831 |
| Died | May 1, 1904 |
| Nationality |  Swiss |
| Known for | microtome, contribution to neuron doctrine |
Wilhelm His, Sr. (born July 9, 1831, Basel, Switz. died May 1, 1904, Leipzig, Ger.) was a Swiss anatomist and professor who invented the microtome. By treating animal flesh with acids and salts to harden it and then slicing it very thinly with the microtome, scientists were able to further research the organization and function of tissues and cells in a microscope.
His came from a patrician family and studied medicine in Basel, Berlin (under Johannes Peter Müller and Robert Remak), Würzburg (under Rudolf Virchow and Albert von Kölliker), Bern, Vienna and Paris. He received a doctorate in 1854, and in 1856 received the habilitation (higher doctorate) in Basel.
1857, at the age of 26, he became professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Basel. In 1872 he took up a call from University of Leipzig to become professor there.
His made a most significant theoretical contribution when he specifically rejected all forms of soft inheritance (Lamarkism). The passage runs [original in German]: "Until it has been refuted, I stand by the statement that characters can not be inherited that were acquired during the lifetime of the individual". The passage comes from his W. 1874. Unsere Körperform und das physiologische Problem ihrer Enstehung. Vogel, Leipzig. The historical significance is that it was not until 1883 that August Weismann made a similar declaration.
His is also remembered for disputing the veracity of Ernst Haeckel's drawings of embryo, which had been used as justifcation for the development of recapitulation theory.
His was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1892.
Wilhelm His, Sr. is the father of physician and cardiologist Wilhelm His, Jr.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Wendler, D; Rother, P (1982), "[Wilhelm His Senior--the life and work of the important Leipzig morphologist]", Zeitschrift für die gesamte innere Medizin und ihre Grenzgebiete 37 (23): 810–3, 1982 Dec, PMID 6761987
- Peipert, J F; Roberts, C S (1986), "Wilhelm His, Sr.'s finding of Johann Sebastian Bach.", Am. J. Cardiol. 57 (11): 1002, 1986 Apr 15, doi:10.1016/0002-9149(86)90749-6, PMID 3515894
- Chapnitskaia, R A; Detlaf, T A (1993), "[Wilhelm His (the elder)]", Ontogenez 24 (3): 103–10, PMID 8355958
- "[Wilhelm His, the anatomist: 1831-1904]", Orvosi hetilap 122 (40): 2485–8, 1981, 1981 Oct 4, PMID 7033877
- "WILHELM HIS SR. (1831-1904)--EMBRYOLOGIST AND ANATOMIST.", JAMA 187: 58, 1964, 1964 Jan 4, PMID 14071882
[edit] External links
- doctor/2606 at Who Named It?
- The Embryograph of Wilhelm His, Hartnack's Drawing Apparatus
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