The auricular branch of the vagus nerve carries the eponym Arnold's nerve, commemorating the researcher who first described the reflex of coughing triggered by ear stimulation. Friedrich Arnold spent his career navigating the academic landscape of the Kingdom of Bavaria and beyond, contributing extensively to the anatomical and physiological understanding of the human body during the nineteenth century.
Early Training and Academic Progression
Born in 1803 in Edenkoben, Friedrich Arnold attended Heidelberg University, where he studied under Friedrich Tiedemann and Vincenz Fohmann. He earned his doctorate in medicine on 7 September 1825. During his time at Heidelberg, he studied alongside his elder brother, Johann Wilhelm Arnold. After his initial training, he secured an associate professorship at his alma mater before embarking on a series of appointments across different institutions.
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Beginning in 1835, Arnold held positions at the universities of Zurich, Freiburg, and Tübingen. He also served as rector from 1838 to 1839. In 1852, he returned to Heidelberg to assume a professorship in anatomy and physiology. Throughout his tenure, he was recognized as a privy counsellor in Heidelberg and maintained membership in the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Upon his retirement, Carl Gegenbaur replaced him.
Anatomical Contributions and Writings
Arnold produced significant medical literature, including the three-volume Handbuch der Anatomie des Menschen and Tabulae anatomicae. In collaboration with his brother, Wilhelm, he authored Abbildungen der Gelenke und Bänder des menschlichen Körpers, which detailed the joints and ligaments of the human body. His research into the petrous portion of the temporal bone led to the identification of Arnold's canal, a passage for the vagus nerve, as well as the naming of the otic ganglion as Arnold's ganglion.
Fast facts
- Born: 1803, Edenkoben
- Died: 1890, Heidelberg
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Bavaria
- Positions: Rector (1838-1839)
- Fields: Anatomy, physiology, medicine
- Burial site: Bergfriedhof
- Member: German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Questions readers ask
What medical eponyms are associated with Friedrich Arnold?
His name is associated with the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, known as Arnold's nerve, the otic ganglion, referred to as Arnold's ganglion, and a passage in the temporal bone called Arnold's canal.
At which universities did Friedrich Arnold hold academic posts?
He worked at the University of Zurich, the University of Freiburg, the University of Tübingen, and Heidelberg University.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Tübingen, University of Freiburg and Heidelberg University
- Fields: anatomy and medicine
