Bernhard Siegfried Albinus

Bernhard Siegfried Albinus ( born February 24, 1697 in Frankfurt ( Oder), † September 9, 1770 in Leiden ) was a German physician.

Life and work

He was born in Frankfurt ( Oder), where his father Friedrich Bernhard Albinus was a professor of medicine. When Bernhard Siegfried Albinus was five years old, his father took over in 1702, a position in Leiden and the family moved around then. At the age of twelve he was teaching at the University of Leiden, where he attended the lectures of Johannes Jacobus Rau, Govard Bidloo, Frederik Dekkers and Herman Boerhaave. After graduating in 1718, he went to his father's wish to Paris; here he should study the subjects of anatomy and surgery. There, in Paris, where he worked under the guidance of Sébastien Vaillant, Jacob Winslow and others, he devoted himself particularly to the study of anatomy and botany. This stay was discontinued in 1719, when he was called back to Leiden. At the university he was on June 29, 1719 lecturer in anatomy and surgery, as an assistant to Rau and held for that purpose on October 2, 1719, introduction speech de Anatomia Comparata. On 19 September of the same year he was named Doctor Honoris Causa of Medicine ( honorary ).

When in 1721 his father died he was, at the age of 24 years, was appointed to take over his position as a professor. As a professor, he encouraged his students to do their own studies of objects and beyond to work through the earlier works on the subject. Soon he became one of the most famous teachers in this field in Europe.

1745 Albinus Professor of Practical Medicine, which brought with it the same time the task of teaching the theory of physiology. Albinus got more offers, a professor in Halle ( Saale), to take over in Göttingen. He declined both offers and remained there until his death in 1770 in Leiden. Albinus also participated in the organizational tasks of the Leiden University and was 1726/27 and 1738/39 Rector of the Alma Mater.

Albinus also wrote works on anatomy teaching. His main work is considered Tabulae sceleti et corporis humani musculorum from 1747, which is considered the most important work of the 18th century to the human anatomy.

In 1764 he was elected to membership in the Royal Society.

Works

• Index Suppellectilis Anatomicae, quam Acad. Lugd. Batav. legavit J. J. Rough, c. Table Leiden 1725
• A. Vesalii Opera omnia Anatomica et Chirurgica cur. Boerhaveet Albino, cum fig. Leiden 1725, 2 vols
• Libellus de humani corporis ossibus. Leiden 1726
• Historia corporis humani musculorum Leiden 1734
• Diss de arte riis et venis intestinorum hominis cum icon. col. Leiden 1737
• Descriptio intestinorum hominis cum icon. Leiden 1737
• Diss de sede et causa coloris aethiopum et caeterorum hominum. Leiden 1737
• Explicatio Tabularum anatomicarum B. Eustaechii. Leiden 1744
• Tabulae sceleti et corporis humani musculorum. Leiden 1747 ( Historical Anatomies on the Web. U.S. National Library of Medicine )
• Tabulae VII uteri mulieris gravidae, cum jam parturerit, mortuae. Leiden 1751
• Tabulae ossium humanorum. Leiden 1753
• Annotationes Academicae. Leiden 1754-1768, 2 vols
• Tabulae vasis chyliferi cum v. azyga, arte riis intercostalibus aliisque vicinis partibus. Leiden 1757