Westphal
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Karl Westphal (1833-1890) was a German neurologist and psychiatrist who identified the absence of the knee reflex as a symptom of tabes dorsalis and made significant contributions to the understanding of spinal cord changes in progressive paralysis and obsessive mental states.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
WESTPHAL, Karl (Karl Westphal, 1833-1890), German neurologist and psychiatrist, professor at the University of Berlin. W. was the first to point to the absence of the knee reflex as a symptom of tabes dorsalis (W.'s symptom). His research on spinal cord changes in progressive paralysis (1867) is remarkable. As a psychiatrist, W. is known for his work on obsessive mental states. W.'s report on acute forms of primary insanity (acute paranoia) was of enormous importance for all subsequent development in psychiatry. In 1868, W. founded the journal: "Archiv fur Psychiatrie u. Nervenkrankheiten".
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“Westphal.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/westphal/