Axel Theodor Johannessen (29 May 1849 – 2 March 1926) was a Norwegian physician,

pediatrician Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until the ...

, professor at

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

and senior doctor at Rikshospitalet Hospital in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

Background

He was born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Christen Johannessen (1814-1903) and Christine Oline Thorkildsen (1820-1915). He graduated artium in 1866. He was a student at the Royal Frederick University (now University of Oslo) and became a

cand.med. Candidate of Medicine ( la, candidatus medicinae (male), ''candidata medicinae'' (female), abbreviated cand. med.) is an academic degree awarded in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway following a six-year medical school education. Medical students in ...

in 1875. He followed with a study trip to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

to study

infectious diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

based on the new subject of bacteriology.

Career

In 1876 Johannessen moved to

Bærum Bærum () is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral ...

, where he worked as a doctor at

Bærums Verk Bærums Verk is a village in Bærum in Akershus, Norway, with a population of about 8000. It is located on both sides of the river Lomma. History Iron ore was found in the areas now known as Kirkerud and Eineåsen in Bærum in 1603 and 1604, a ...

. During 1885–1886, Johannessen studied the occurrence of struma and two years later undertook a trip to hospitals in

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

to study the treatment of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

. In 1891 Johannessen was appointed lecturer in childhood diseases at the University of Kristiania. From 1893 he was also a senior doctor at Rikshospitalet's newly established children's department, and in 1895 he was appointed as a professor in childhood diseases. He was one of the first pediatricians in Norway and founded the discipline of pediatrics at the university. He also founded the

Norwegian Society of Pediatricians The Norwegian Society of Pediatricians ( no, Norsk barnelegeforening) is the Norwegian association of pediatricians. The society was founded in 1919 by Axel Johannessen, the first professor of pediatrics in Norway. The society was originally named ...

and served as its president until 1922.

Personal life

In 1876, he married Lina Vedastine Malthe (1849-1926) who was the sister of surgeon Alexander Malthe. Axel Johannessen was awarded the Crown Prince's Gold Metal (''Kronprinsens gullmedalje'') by the University of Oslo in 1882. He received the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

(Knight First Class) in 1907 .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johannessen, Axel 1849 births 1926 deaths University of Oslo alumni Academic staff of the University of Oslo Oslo University Hospital people Norwegian pediatricians Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour