Romberg

ROMBERG Moritz Heinrich (Moritz Heinrich Romberg, 1795-1873), famous Berlin neurologist. In 1817 he wrote a dissertation on congenital rickets, worked for three years in Vienna with J. P. Frank, then moved to Berlin, where he remained until his death. For 30 years he was a physician for the poor, and on this material, as well as on patients from private practice, were made his first observations. In 1830 he received the title of associate professor and from 1834 taught a course in propaedeutic clinics with practical demonstrations of physical examination methods. In 1838 he was elected professor and first conducted a polyclinic, then gave a course on private pathology and therapy. R. became famous for his textbook of nervous diseases ("Lehrbuch der Nervenkrankheiten", 1st ed., B., 1840-46; 4th ed.- only vol. I, 1857). This textbook was also published under the title: "Pathologie und Therapie der Sensibilität- und Motilitätsneurosen". Among the numerous works of Romberg should be noted: "Commentationes quaedam de cerebri haemorrhagia" (Diss., B., 1830); "Neuralgiae nervi quinti specimen" (speech upon admission to the Academy, B., 1840); "De paralysi respiratoria" (B., 1845). Nephew of R., Henoch, collected in two volumes all observations made by R. during his many years as director of the polyclinic ("Klin. Wahrnehmungen u. Beobachtungen", Vol. I-II, B., 1851). Romberg acquired great fame as a teacher. A particular sign is named after him (see Romberg's symptom).