Esmarch

Esmarch Friedrich (Friedrich v. Esmarch, 1823-1908), a well-known German surgeon, a student of Langenbeck, and subsequently an assistant to Stromeyer, whose chair he took in Kiel in 1857 and held until 1899. Participant in a number of wars (1864, 1866, 1870/71), E. devoted enormous attention in his work to questions of military field surgery, presenting a whole series of communications on the topic of the rational treatment of gunshot fractures of the extremities and joint wounds, becoming in this matter an advocate of a more conservative approach. He published a major work in which, on the basis of extensive military material, he proved the superiority of resections and arthrotomy after gunshot wounds over amputations both in terms of preserving working capacity and in terms of immediate results (reduction in mortality). World recognition was brought to E. by his proposal in 1873 to operate on exsanguinated limbs with the help of a tourniquet (see Esmarch exsanguination). Esmarch dedicated many works to questions of organizing aid for the wounded in war. Esmarch took great part in the matter of involving the peaceful population to help the wounded in war by organizing special courses (Samariterkurse), publishing brochures and popular guides for this purpose. E. was one of the founders of the German Society of Surgeons, an honorary member of it, and chairman of the Congress of German Surgeons in 1894.