Albrecht Theodor Middeldorpf

Albrecht Theodor Middeldorpf (3 July 1824, Breslau – 29 July 1868, Breslau) was a German surgeon.

He studied medicine at the universities of Breslau and Berlin, receiving his medical doctorate in 1846. As a student, his instructors included Jan Evangelista Purkyně, Johannes Peter Müller and Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach. Following graduation, he worked as assistant under Purkyně at Breslau for a year, then embarked on a study trip to Vienna and Paris. In 1853 he became an associate professor of surgery and ophthalmology at Breslau, and soon afterwards, was named head surgeon of the Allerheiligen-Hospital. In 1856 he became a full professor and director of the surgical-ophthalmologic clinic. During the Second Schleswig War (1864) and Austro-Prussian War (1864), he distinguished himself in the treatment of battle-related injuries.^[1]

He is best remembered for his pioneer work in galvanocautery, being credited with the standardization of its surgical techniques.^[2] In 1854 he published the first monograph in regards to the application of electrical current in surgery.^[3] In September 1856 he demonstrated his galvano-surgical methods in Paris, of which, he was awarded the Montyon Prize by the Paris Academy of Sciences.^[4]^[1]

Selected works

Beiträge zur Lehre von den Knochenbrüchen, 1853 – Contributions to the education of fractures.
Die Galvanokaustik, ein Beitrag zur operativen Medizin, 1854 – Galvanocautery, a contribution to operational medicine.
Überblick über die Akidopeirastik, eine neue Untersuchungsmethode mit Hülfe spitziger Werkzeuge, 1856 – Survey of acupuncture: a new examination method using pointed tools.
Abrégé de la galvanocaustie (in French), 1864 – Summary of galvanocautery.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ADB:Middeldorpf, Albrecht Theodor In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 21, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1885, S. 708–710.
^ Springer Handbook of Medical Technology edited by Rüdiger Kramme, Klaus-Peter Hoffmann, Robert Pozos
^ History of surgical instruments: 7. The first electrosurgical instruments: galvanic cauterization and electric cutting snare Zentralbl Chir. 1998;123(8):950-4.
^ ^a ^b Pagel: Biographisches Lexikon hervorragender Ärzte des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Berlin, Wien 1901, Sp. 1136-1137 at Zeno.org

[AD-1] ADB:Middeldorpf, Albrecht Theodor In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 21, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1885, S. 708–710.

[2] Springer Handbook of Medical Technology edited by Rüdiger Kramme, Klaus-Peter Hoffmann, Robert Pozos

[3] History of surgical instruments: 7. The first electrosurgical instruments: galvanic cauterization and electric cutting snare Zentralbl Chir. 1998;123(8):950-4.

[ZE-4] Pagel: Biographisches Lexikon hervorragender Ärzte des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Berlin, Wien 1901, Sp. 1136-1137 at Zeno.org

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