Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland

Christopher William hoof ( born August 12, 1762 Langensalza; † August 25, 1836 in Berlin) was a German doctor, social hygiene and educator. He is known for his life-force theory as a representative of vitalism ( a the then fashionable Brownianism diametrically opposed to standing concept ). He is also seen as the founder of macrobiotics.

Life

Medical career

Already Hufeland's father and grandfather had studied medicine - he followed this tradition with a medical school in Jena and Göttingen, where Georg Christoph Lichtenberg was one of his teachers. His younger brother was since 1799 a doctor, also in Weimar. 1783 CW Hufelandhaus received his doctorate in Göttingen as a Doctor of Medicine and Masonic lodge in the Göttingen " Augusta at the three flames ." He then worked from the same year in the practice of his father's gradually going blind in Weimar, which he later took over and led until 1801. In 1784, he was inducted into the covenant of the Illuminati. In 1791, he was already named as ducal Hofmedicus in Weimar, member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In 1793 he was inducted as an honorary member of the just founded by August Batsch in Jena Naturalist Society at Jena. In 1796 he was Councilor and Leibmedikus, later court physician at Weimar. His patients included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Johann Gottfried von Herder and Christoph Martin Wieland, who he met in the period in Weimar as court physician and helped that he was the reformer of health care.

The Saxon Duke Karl August was able to sign him as an honorary professor from 1793 to 1801 at the University of Jena, where his lectures were enthusiastically received. In 1800 he was elected as a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Various lucrative offers (even from abroad), he refused at first, but then settled in 1801 call to the royal court in Berlin. His successor in Jena was Karl Gustav Himly.

In Berlin hoof served as personal physician to the royal royal family of Frederick William III. and directed the Collegium Medico - chirurgicum and first physician and Director of the Charité in Berlin. Following the flight of the royal family to Königsberg and Memel, which he accompanied, he became the first Dean of the Medical Faculty as an academy member of the new University of Berlin.

Besides his work as a professor at the Department of Special Pathology and Therapy, he was Head of the Military Academy and the State Health Department in the Prussian Ministry of the Interior and member of the Directorate arms. The poor relief was particular importance for him - comes from him the paradigmatic saying " the sick man alone is poor," which brings the Unterstützungwürdigkeit sick by public finances expression. His views published hoof in the arms Pharmacopeia, designed for Berlin, together with the news of there built hospital for the poor in their homes. The need to focus more hygienic conditions in Berlin, hoof summed up as follows: " For the time being it stinks here. " At that time, died in Berlin every year about 1000 persons 20-36 years of tuberculosis, which is mainly from the filth of the living environment and the dirty drinking water directly from the river fed. Hoof wrote: "Early always died consumed almost at all times only the unknown poor, to whom it despite the greatest benefits for the ruling classes even lacked the daily bread. " He introduced the smallpox vaccination and provided for the opening of the first clinic in 1810, which was conducted in 1833 by his nephew and son Emil Osann. He also called the Prussian State measures to improve school health and working conditions, state hygiene laws and social insurance.

In 1792 he founded in Weimar the first morgue in Germany. In addition to all non-profit and teaching tasks hoof conducted a private practice for their patients, he managed up to 30 home visits per day. Poor people he treated free of charge, so he was very popular in those circles.

Writing career

Hufeland intense publishing activity began in 1785 with Mesmer and his magnetism, a thesis on Franz Anton Mesmer and his theory of " animal magnetism ". As the first book publication published a treatise on the eradication of smallpox (1787 ). This was followed by numerous writings on the subject of health care, including his major work, The Art of Prolonging Human Life ( 1796), in which a special diet and a harmonious lifestyle is recommended. Personal health care and public health policy are combined according to the spirit of the Enlightenment. His theses to the views of the bourgeois- Protestant population were very accommodating. So it was that the title in 1805 ( as " macrobiotics " ) reached the third edition. Even with magazine editions brought hoof significant benefits ( inter alia publication of the Journal of practischen Arzneykunde and Wundarzneykunst since 1795). 1808 brought a hoof encyclopedia on the subject out of suspended animation. Overall, the list of his writings over 400 titles counts.

Medical theory

Hufeland medical theoretical approach was based on a life force, which he differentiated further, but generally understood as a principle of self-preservation of the organism. By his plea for gentle treatment (as opposed to heroic medicine), use the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae ) and application of dietetics and physical therapy, he had great influence on the natural healing since the 19th century. In particular, in his journal of practischen Arzneykunde he offered the medical trends of his time, a lively discussion forum; so could, for example, numerous fundamental articles of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, appear there. Later, however, there was a rift between Hahnemann and hoof. Hufelandhaus stated in particular homeopathy as a healing system for questionable and criticized at Hahnemann sharp its strict approach.

Posterity

Hoof was buried in the graveyard of Dorotheenstädtischer and Friedrichswerder communities in Berlin -Mitte. The tomb is one of the graves honor the State of Berlin.

On 4 June 1904, the newly created Berliner Straße was as Hufelandstraße named to his house in Berlin-Mitte ( Hegelplatz 1) a commemorative plaque was affixed. In the GDR, which was named after him hoof Medal was instituted in 1958. This has since been awarded annually ( in bronze, silver or gold) as a national award for significant contributions to public health. His name lives on in the hoof country 's society and the hoof Foundation. In Bad Pyrmont reminds him of the hoof -Therme, Hufeland name also carries the leading to the stone mountain road in Bad Driburg and Vienna Meidling ( 12th District ) since 1884, the Hufelandgasse. In Bad Ems the hoof clinic exists.

The German doctors insurance annually awards endowed with 20,000 euros hoof Prize for the " best job in the field of preventive medicine ." The hoof Company, the Confederation of Medical Associations of Naturopathy and Complementary Medicine, awarded since 2009, two annual, endowed with 1,500 euros, hoof Research Award for his work on complementary or integrative medicine.

For his services to the sport in Lower Saxony, he was inducted into the Honor Gallery of the Lower Saxony Lower Saxony Institute for Sports of sports history.

Quotes

The main thing was the belief in God's word for me. On this alone I kept myself; yes, I could feel a real joy in my heart when I saw others caught up in doubt and philosophical sophistries and felt in me the nice security to have something solid to which I could not hold myself what all doubts resolved ( Zöckler, 486 ff )

Writings

• Concerning the uncertainty of death and the only infallible means to be convinced of its reality and to make the buried alive impossible besides the news of the establishment of a mortuary in Weimar. Weimar 1791.
• Full representation of the medical staff and the use of hydrochloric acid heavy earth, Berlin 1794 * Charitable essays for the transport of health, Wohlseyns and reasonable medicinischer Enlightenment. Leipzig 1794 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf ).
• The art of prolonging human life. Jena 1797 ( digitized ); 2 vols. Haas, Vienna 1798 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf ); later than macrobiotics or the art to extend human life.
• Remarks on the Brownian practice. Tübingen 1799.
• System of practical medicine. A handbook for academic lectures and for practical use. Jena / Leipzig 1800, Vienna 1802-1806.
• The bedroom and the bedroom in relation to health. Weimar 1802.
• A needful Notes to the art to extend human life. Weimar / Vienna 1803.
• The apparent death, or collection of the most important facts and observations on, in alphabetical order with a preface. Berlin 1808 (online).
• Conspectus materia medica secundum Ordines naturales in Usum Auditorium. Berlin 1820 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf ).
• Poor pharmacopeia designed for Berlin together with the news of the arms there built hospital catering establishment. Berlin 1810; Second enlarged edition 1812. Poor pharmacopeia designed for Berlin together with the news of the hospital there built for the poor in their homes. 3rd enlarged edition. Berlin 1818 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf )
• Poor pharmacopeia. 4th enlarged edition. Berlin 1825 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf ); 5th enlarged edition 1828th
• Poor pharmacopeia. At the same time a selection of good medicines and medicinal formulas. 6 enlarged edition. Reimer, Berlin 1829 ( digitized ); 7 very enlarged edition 1832 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf ); 8th edition 1834.

• Journal of practischen Medicine (Journal of practical Arzneykunde and Wundarzneykunst ). 83 volumes, 1795-1836