Ernst Julius Remak earned his medical degree in 1870, eventually becoming a prominent figure in the field of German neurology. Over the course of his professional life, he held academic and clinical positions in Berlin while contributing extensively to the study of nervous diseases and the development of specialized electrodiagnostic techniques for medical practitioners.
Early Education and Military Service
Born in Berlin in 1849, Remak pursued medical studies at several institutions, including the universities of Breslau, Berlin, Würzburg, Strasbourg, and Heidelberg. During his time at Heidelberg, he studied under the neurologist Wilhelm Heinrich Erb. Following the completion of his formal education and the receipt of his M.D. in 1870, he participated in the Franco-Prussian War.
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Upon returning from military service, Remak served as an assistant in the department of nervous diseases at the Charité hospital in Berlin from 1873 to 1875. He subsequently established a private practice in the city. His academic career advanced steadily, as he became a privat-docent in 1877 and attained the rank of professor in 1893, maintaining ties to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Contributions to Neurology
Remak authored over 50 essays for professional medical journals. His scholarly output includes the 1895 publication Grundriss der Elektrodiagnostik und Elektrotherapie für Praktische Aerzte. In collaboration with Edward Flatau, he wrote a study on neuritis and polyneuritis for Carl Nothnagel’s Handbuch der speziellen Pathologie und Therapie. His clinical research led to the identification of the Remak reflex, a response involving the plantar flexion of the first three toes and the knee, which indicates an interruption in spinal cord conducting paths.
Fast facts
- Born: 1849, Berlin
- Died: 1911, Berlin
- Education: Heidelberg University, University of Strasbourg
- Academic appointments: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité
- Military service: Franco-Prussian War
- Medical degree: 1870
Questions readers ask
What is the Remak reflex?
It is a physical reflex characterized by the flexion of the first three toes and extension of the knee, occurring when spinal cord conducting paths are interrupted.
With whom did Ernst Remak collaborate on his neuritis research?
He collaborated with Edward Flatau to produce a work on neuritis and polyneuritis for the Handbuch der speziellen Pathologie und Therapie.
Achievements
- Held posts at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Charité
