The Paget-Schrötter syndrome, a condition involving primary thrombosis of the axillary or subclavian vein, carries the name of this Austrian internist and laryngologist. Leopold von Schrötter navigated the rapid professionalization of medicine in Cisleithania during the late nineteenth century, contributing to the establishment of the first specialized laryngological clinic at the Vienna General Hospital.
Early Training and Academic Rise
Born in Graz in 1837, Leopold von Schrötter Ritter von Kristelli attended the Akademisches Gymnasium before moving to the University of Vienna. He earned his medical doctorate in 1861 and entered the surgical apprenticeship of Franz Schuh. Between 1863 and 1869, he served as an assistant to the physician Josef Škoda, earning his habilitation in 1867. His career trajectory accelerated following the 1868 death of Ludwig Türck, which led to Schrötter receiving the first chair of laryngology in Vienna.
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Three years after attaining his chair, Schrötter became the director of the world's first laryngological clinic at the Vienna General Hospital. His responsibilities expanded over the following decades; he served as an associate professor of laryngology starting in 1875 and concurrently led the department of internal medicine until 1881. In 1881, he reached the position of Primararzt at the General Hospital. By 1890, he was named professor and director of the institution's third medical clinic.
Research and Public Health
Schrötter maintained a dual focus on laryngology and the treatment of heart and lung diseases. He contributed a significant treatise on heart conditions to Hugo Wilhelm von Ziemssen's Handbuch der speciellen Pathologie und Therapie. His commitment to public health was evidenced by his work on the Alland Lungenheilanstalt, a specialized lung clinic that began admitting patients in 1898. His published output reflected these interests, ranging from techniques for local anesthesia of the larynx to broader inquiries regarding the hygienic construction of hotels.
Professional Recognition
Throughout his tenure, he received various international honors, including the Order of the Red Eagle 2nd Class in 1888 and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph in 1899. Later distinctions included the Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1904 and the Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Polar Star in 1907. He was also a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. He died in 1908 in Vienna and was interred at the Vienna Central Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1837, Graz
- Died: 1908, Vienna
- Primary Field: Internal Medicine and Laryngology
- Key Appointment: Director, Vienna General Hospital Laryngological Clinic
- Notable Eponym: Paget-Schrötter disease
- Selected 1903 Publication: Hygiene der Lunge im gesunden und kranken Zustand
- Burial Site: Vienna Central Cemetery
- Academic Home: University of Vienna
Questions readers ask
What is Paget-Schrötter disease?
It is a disorder involving primary thrombosis of the axillary vein or subclavian vein, named after Leopold von Schrötter and British surgeon James Paget.
What was the Alland Lungenheilanstalt?
It was a lung clinic that began treating patients in 1898, which Schrötter was instrumental in establishing.
Achievements
- Order of the Red Eagle 2nd Class — 1888
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph — 1899
- Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Dannebrog — 1904
- Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Polar Star — 1907
- Held posts at University of Vienna
- Fields: medicine
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