The portrait of Paul de Sorbait was chosen in 1909 as the official insignia for the national association of Austrian doctors, marking his legacy as a pioneer of sanitary reform. Born in 1624 in Montbliart, he emerged from his early education in Paderborn and Padua to become a central figure in the medical landscape of seventeenth-century Vienna.
Academic and Professional Career
After completing his studies at the University of Padua, where he likely earned degrees in philosophy and medicine, Sorbait practiced in Rome, Cologne, and Arnhem. In August 1652, he joined the medical faculty at the University of Vienna. He advanced to professor of theoretical medicine in 1655 and professor of practical medicine in 1666. Beyond his teaching, he served as court physician to Empress-Dowager Eleonora starting in 1658 and was a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
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During the 1679 Great Plague of Vienna, Emperor Leopold I appointed Sorbait as chief supervisor of sanitary conditions. His expertise in disease management led to the publication of the Consilium medicum, a dialogue on the Viennese plague that became his most popular text. He also edited and expanded the official plague regulations, known as the Johann Wilhelm Mannagellasche Pestordnung, to provide the city with a structured sanitary response.
Civic Contributions and Later Life
Sorbait invested his own wealth into the city, rebuilding the Goldberg student hall and adding a chapel in 1676. After resigning his professorship in 1681, he established a scholarship for medical students. During the 1683 Turkish siege of Vienna, he served as chief sergeant-major for a company of students. He died on 19 April 1691 and is interred at the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna.
Scholarly Output
His chief medical contribution was the Universa medicina tam theorica quam practica, published in Nuremberg in 1672 and 1675. This work was later enlarged as the Praxios medicae tractatus VII in 1680. He also authored several academic addresses, including works regarding civil magistrates and ecclesiastical commemorations, which demonstrate his adherence to the Hippocratic school and his interest in anatomy and botany.
Fast facts
- Born: 1624, Montbliart
- Died: 19 April 1691, Vienna
- Main Employer: University of Vienna
- Notable Membership: German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
- Burial Site: Cathedral of St. Stephen, Vienna
- Chief Work: Universa medicina tam theorica quam practica
Questions readers ask
What was Paul de Sorbait's role during the Great Plague?
He served as the official councillor and chief supervisor of sanitary conditions for Vienna, overseeing plague regulations.
Where did Paul de Sorbait receive his medical education?
He attended school in Paderborn before continuing his studies at the University of Padua.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Vienna
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