The description of acute porphyria in 1889 by Barend Joseph Stokvis identified the clinical significance of dark red urine in patients treated with sulfonal. This discovery established a new understanding of how specific medications could trigger metabolic crises, marking a transition in chemical pathology during the nineteenth century.
Academic Formation
Born in Amsterdam in 1834 to Rachel Wittering and Joseph Barend Stokvis, Jr., he pursued medical studies in Amsterdam and at Utrecht University. Under the supervision of Franciscus Donders and Jacobus Schroeder van der Kolk, he earned his doctorate in 1856 with a dissertation focused on hepatic glucose production and diabetes. His post-doctoral trajectory included time in Paris, Vienna, and potentially Prague, further broadening his scientific perspective before returning to practice in Amsterdam.
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In 1874, he accepted a position at the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam, teaching medicine, pathology, and pharmacodynamics. When the institution transitioned into the Municipal University of Amsterdam, he continued his academic career there from 1877 until 1902. His leadership roles included serving as Rector of the University in 1894. Throughout this period, he maintained memberships in the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium.
Scientific Contributions
His research portfolio spanned chemical pathology, tropical medicine, and pharmacology. He investigated glycogen metabolism, uric acid, urea, and the physiological impact of Atropa belladonna. His work on albuminuria earned a gold medal from the Brussels Academy in 1867. Beyond his case report on porphyria, he described methaemoglobinaemia and authored the three-volume pharmacology textbook titled Voordrachten over Geneesmiddelenleer, which saw international circulation as Leçons de Pharmacotherapie.
Public and Social Engagement
Stokvis participated in numerous professional and charitable capacities, including presiding over the Jewish Poor Board and co-founding the Dutch Jewish Institute for the Insane. He acted as a supporter for Aletta Jacobs, the first female doctor in the Netherlands. His influence extended to medical history as a founder of the journal Janus in 1896. He received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Edinburgh in 1884 before his death in Amsterdam in 1902.
Fast facts
- Born: 1834, Amsterdam
- Died: 1902, Amsterdam
- Primary Field: Pathology and Pharmacology
- Academic Degree: Doctorate
- Key Publication: Voordrachten over Geneesmiddelenleer
- Honorary Degree: University of Edinburgh, 1884
- Rector of the University of Amsterdam: 1894
Questions readers ask
What medical condition did Barend Joseph Stokvis name?
He coined the term porphyria in 1889 after observing the presence of porphyrins in the urine of a patient treated with sulfonal.
Which institution did he serve at for the longest period?
He was employed by the University of Amsterdam from 1877 until his death in 1902.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Amsterdam, Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam
