In the history of medicine, Richard von Volkmann is one of the names that keeps returning.
The record lists Richard von Volkmann as German surgeon and author (1830-1889).
Richard von Volkmann was born at Leipzig in 1830. His recorded nationality is Kingdom of Saxony. He trained at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
Anaesthesia, antisepsis and germ theory arrived within fifty years and made modern surgery possible for the first time.
His posts were held at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
The test of medical work is whether practice changed, not whether the argument was elegant.
Recognition followed: Commander of the Order of Vasa, Order of the Red Eagle 3rd Class and Commander's Cross of the Order of the Crown of Prussia.
That the work was done from Kingdom of Saxony matters: hospitals, training and research funding are unevenly distributed, and they decide which questions can be asked.
Richard von Volkmann died in 1889, aged 59. What survives is the change in practice, which is how a medical life is actually measured.
Achievements
- Commander of the Order of Vasa
- Order of the Red Eagle 3rd Class
- Commander's Cross of the Order of the Crown of Prussia
- Held posts at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
