Erich Frank (1884-1957): Unsung Pioneer in Nephrology

Abstract

The period between the 2 World Wars was a time of budding interest in renal studies and one that closed in major geopolitical unrest, culminating in World War II. The life of Erich Frank (1884-1957) and his contributions to chronic kidney disease provide considerable insight into this period. Frank began his career in Breslau, Germany. His medical thesis and first publication were on the benign nature of orthostatic proteinuria. He went on to define and differentiate essential from renal hypertension, presented evidence for the role of the posterior pituitary in diabetes insipidus, and studied the first oral hypoglycemic agent. As all clinical scientists then, Frank also contributed to other fields of medicine. When Germany turned to Nazism, Frank moved to Turkey, where he was appointed co-chair of the Department of Medicine of the newly established Istanbul University. For the next 23 years, he trained a new generation of modern physicians and laid the foundation of several medical disciplines in Turkey. As author of the first Turkish textbook of nephrology and a teacher who inspired his students, some of whom went on to become the first generation of Turkish nephrologists, Frank was a pioneer in nephrology who helped establish the discipline in his adopted country.