Adolf Kussmaul (; 22 February 1822 – 28 May 1902) was a German physician and a leading clinician of his time.

Biography

Adolf Kussmaul was born as the son and grandson of physicians in

Graben In geology, a graben () is a depression (geology), depressed block of the Crust (geology), crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults. Etymology ''Graben'' is a loan word from German language, German, meaning 'ditch' or 't ...

near

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

and studied at

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

. He entered the army after graduation and spent two years as an army surgeon. This was followed by a period as a

general practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

before he went to

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

to study for his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

under Virchow. He was subsequently Professor of Medicine at

(1857),

Erlangen Erlangen (; , ) is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 119,810 inhabitants (as of 30 September 2024), it is the smalle ...

(1859),

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

(1859) and

Straßburg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin department and the official seat of the European Parliament. The cit ...

(1876). Beyond his medical skills he was also active in literature. He is regarded as one of the creators of the term '' Biedermeier'', an art movement. He died in Heidelberg.

Eponymous terms

His name continues to be used in

eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

s. He described two medical signs and one disease which have eponymous names that remain in use: *

Kussmaul breathing Kussmaul breathing is a deep and labored breathing pattern often associated with severe metabolic acidosis, particularly diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) but also kidney failure. It is a form of hyperventilation, which is any breathing pattern that ...

– very deep and labored breathing with normal, rapid or reduced frequency seen in severe

diabetic ketoacidosis Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening acute complication of diabetes mellitus. Signs and symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, deep gasping breathing, increased urination, weakness, confusion and occasionally ...

(DKA). * Kussmaul's sign – paradoxical rise in the

jugular venous pressure The jugular venous pressure (JVP, sometimes referred to as ''jugular venous pulse'') is the indirectly observed pressure over the venous system via visualization of the internal jugular vein. It can be useful in the differentiation of different f ...

(JVP) on inhalation in constrictive pericarditis or

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...

(COPD). * Kussmaul disease (also called Kussmaul–Maier disease) – polyarteritis nodosa. Named with Rudolf Robert Maier (1824–1888). The following eponymous terms are considered archaic: * Kussmaul's coma –

diabetic coma Diabetic coma is a life-threatening but reversible form of coma found in people with diabetes mellitus. Three different types of diabetic coma are identified: #Severe diabetic hypoglycemia, low blood sugar in a diabetic person #Diabetic ketoac ...

due to ketoacidosis. * Kussmaul's aphasia – selective mutism. * Kussmaul's pulse – pulsus paradoxus. * Kussmaul–Landry paralysis –

Guillain–Barré syndrome Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapid-onset Paralysis, muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. Typically, both sides of the body are involved, and the initial symptoms are changes in sensation ...

Firsts

* First to describe

dyslexia Dyslexia (), previously known as word blindness, is a learning disability that affects either reading or writing. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, reading quickly, wri ...

in 1877, which he called 'word blindness'. * First to describe polyarteritis nodosa. * First to describe progressive bulbar paralysis. * First to describe selective mutism. * First to diagnose mesenteric embolism. * First to perform pleural tapping and

gastric lavage Gastric lavage, also commonly called stomach pumping or gastric irrigation or gastric suction, is the process of cleaning out the contents of the stomach using a tube. Since its first recorded use in the early 19th century, it has become one of the ...

. * First to attempt oesophagoscopy and

gastroscopy Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) or oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD), also called by various other names, is a diagnostic endoscopic procedure that visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract down to the duodenum. It is considered ...

. * First to describe the emotional symptoms of

mercury exposure Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashe ...

as a first stage preceding the physical effects.Buck., Albert H. Cyclopaedia of the Practice of Medicine Vol. XIV Diseases of the Nervous System. New York: William Wood and Company, 1877. 612. Print.

References

External links

Adolf Kussmaul
biography from Who Named It?. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kussmaul, Adolph 1822 births 1902 deaths History of medical imaging People from Karlsruhe (district) Physicians from Baden-Württemberg German surgeons People from the Grand Duchy of Baden Academic staff of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Academic staff of the University of Strasbourg Recipients of the Cothenius Medal