Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky (Czech: Karel Rokytanský) (b. February 19, 1804, Hradec Králové, Bohemia; d. July 23, 1878, Vienna), Bohemian physician, pathologist, humanist philosopher and liberal politician. Karl Freiherr von Rokitansky, Austrian physician and pathologist. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Hradec Králové  listen (German: Königgrätz) is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. ... Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: Čechy; German: Böhmen) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). ... A physician is a person who practices medicine. ... Pathology (in ancient Greek pathos = feeling, pain, suffering and logos = discourse or treatise, i. ... A philosopher is a person devoted to studying and producing results in philosophy. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ...

Medical career

Carl von Rokitansky attained a doctorate in medicine on 6 March 1828 at the University of Vienna. As a young professor, he recognized that the still little noted discipline of pathological anatomy could be of great service to clinical work in the hospital, because it could offer new diagnostic and therapy possibilities to the bed-side physician. With this, after Gerard van Swieten, who was the founder of the first Vienna School, Rokitansky released a veritable scientific "revolution". With the establishment of the second Vienna School, a paradigm shift went into effect, led by Rokitansky, Josef Škoda and Ferdinand von Hebra, from the notion of medicine as a nature-philosophical subject, to the more modern, scientifically-oriented medicine. In this way associated with the specialization of the medicine and with the development of new disciplines, the Vienna School achieved world-wide reputation. Medicine is a branch of health science concerned with maintaining health and restoring it by treating disease. ... University of Vienna Main Building The University of Vienna (German: Universität Wien) in Austria was founded in 1365 by Rudolph IV and hence named Alma mater Rudolphina. ... Anatomic pathology is the branch of pathology that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross and microscopic examination of cells and tissues. ... A hospital today is an institution for professional health care provided in part by physicians and nurses. ... Diagnosis (from the Greek words dia = by and gnosis = knowledge) is the process of identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms and results of various diagnostic procedures. ... Therapy (in Greek: θεραπεία) or treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a diagnosis. ... Gerard van Swieten (May 7, 1700 - June 18, 1772) was an Austrian physician of Dutch origin. ...

Rokitansky's name is associated to the following diseases: A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ...

• Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome
• Rokitansky's diverticulum
• Rokitansky's triad (pulmonary stenosis)
• Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses (in the gallbladder)
• Rokitansky-Cushing ulcer
• Rokitansky-Maude Abbott syndrome
• Von Rokitansky's syndrome

Mullerian agenesis refers to a condition in a female where the mullerian ducts fail to develop and a uterus will not be present. ... The gallbladder (or cholecyst) is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile (or gall) until the body needs it for digestion. ... A Cushing ulcer is a gastric ulcer produced by elevated intracranial pressure. ...

Philosophical career

Although Rokitansky defended the "materialistic method" in scientific research, he rejected materialism as a philosophical world view. In his commemorative speech on the occasion of the opening of the Institute of Pathological Anatomy at the General Hospital of Vienna, he warned against the abuse of "natural science liberties". Scientists should first regard humans as "conscious and free-willing subjects" and only then follow their urge toward knowledge. The feeling of humanity would be lost if physicians regarded human beings purely as research objects. Thus Rokitansky brought up for the first time the question of ethics in medicine. In another speech about the "solidarity of all animal life", delivered at the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Rokitansky showed his proximity to Arthur Schopenhauer's writings on compassion: "if we [... ] preserve and practice compassion", he explained "we are able to alleviate part of the load of suffering" of patients. Human generosity will be shown by our capability to accept the greatest sufferings by voluntarily renouncing to aggression. Those who succeed in this should be our greatest ethical role models. Research is an active, diligent and systematic process of inquiry in order to discover, interpret or revise facts, events, behaviours, or theories, or to make practical applications with the help of such facts, laws or theories. ... Materialism is the philosophical view that the only thing that can truly be said to exist is matter; that fundamentally, all things are comprised of material. The view is perhaps best understood in its opposition to the doctrines of immaterial substance applied to the mind historically, and most famously by... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ... Arthur Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 – September 21, 1860) was a German philosopher. ... Compassion is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering. ... Aggression is defined as The act of initiating hostilities or invasion. ...

On 17 July 1848 von Rokitansky was selected to the be an effective member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In 1866 he became its vice-president and from 1869 until his death on 23 July 1878, its president. Rokitansky felt that this "was the largest honour which I could enjoy".

Political career

By way of his leading positions in the most diverse academic and political institutions of the Austrian Empire, Rokitansky helped to shape the era of Austrian high liberalism. He represented liberalism among the educated middle class and strived for "freedom and progress", both to the university reform and to the substantial improvement of health sciences. Rokitansky was several times the dean of the medical school, and, in 1853, the first freely elected rector of the medical congregation of the University of Vienna and president of the Superior Medical Council. From 1850 until his death, he also presided the Physician's Society of Vienna, In 1863 he was appointed by Anton von Schmerling as medical adviser to the Ministry of the Interior. In 25 November 1867 he was "unexpectedly and unprepared" nominated by Franz Joseph I to the High Chamber of the Royal Council. Finally, he was elected in 1870 to the presidency of the Anthropological Society. Liberalism is a political current embracing several historical and present-day ideologies that claim defense of individual liberty as the purpose of government. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... Health science is the discipline of applied science which deals with human and animal health. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The word rector (ruler, from the Latin regere) has a number of different meanings. ... University of Vienna Main Building The University of Vienna (German: Universität Wien) in Austria was founded in 1365 by Rudolph IV and hence named Alma mater Rudolphina. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Anton von Schmerling ( August 23, 1805 - May 23, 1893), Austrian statesman, was born at Vienna, where his father held a high position on the judicial side of the civil service. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph (in English also Francis Joseph) (August 18, 1830 - November 21, 1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and King of Hungary from 1867 until 1916. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Bibliography

• Handbuch der pathologischen Anatomie. 3 volumes. Wien, Braumüller u. Seidel, 1842-1846.
• Die Defecte der Scheidewände des Herzens. Wien, W. Braumüller, 1875.

External links

• Carl Freiherr von Rokitansky (http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/981.html). WhoNamedIt.