FRI-09 “MEDICINE IS A SOCIAL SCIENCE” – LIFE AND WORK OF RUDOLF VIRCHOW (1821-1902)

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology I (Podium)1 Apr 2014FRI-09 “MEDICINE IS A SOCIAL SCIENCE” – LIFE AND WORK OF RUDOLF VIRCHOW (1821-1902) Matthis Krischel Matthis KrischelMatthis Krischel More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.1727AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Introduction and Objectives Rudolf Virchow is widely known as one of the founding fathers of modern pathology. In addition to that, he was politically active throughout his life, participating in the failed German republican revolution of 1848 and being elected to the municipal parliament of Berlin and the German national parliament. Virchow extensively studied the relationships between social structure, hunger and disease and combined his work on pathology and his politics into social medicine. Methods Biographies of and letters and publications by Rudolf Virchow are surveyed and analyzed. In addition to his work as a pathologist, his contributions to social medicine and politics are considered. Results Virchow’s epidemiological studies in Silesia in the spring of 1848 can be understood as a critical experience that led him to proclaim: “Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing but medicine on a grand scale.” From that point on, he not only worked in his pathology laboratory, but also championed public health measures, such as food safety and the foundation of municipal hospitals. Social aspects also became part of his medical writings on cellular pathology, but Virchow avoided overstretching political metaphors. Conclusions Equally important as a pathologist and a practitioner of social medicine, Virchow should be remembered for both today. © 2014FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 191Issue 4SApril 2014Page: e623-e624 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2014MetricsAuthor Information Matthis Krischel More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...