Emil Knauer (27 February 1867 – 14 May 1935) was an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

gynecologist and obstetrician.

Career

Knauer was born in 1867 as the son of baker Georg Knauer (1822-1878) and his wife Karoline (1829-1905). After completing his schooling in his hometown, he studied medicine at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...

from autumn 1885 onwards.
In

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

he completed training in pathological anatomy under Johann Kundrat and in internal medicine under

Hermann Nothnagel Carl Wilhelm Hermann Nothnagel (28 September 1841 – 7 July 1905) was a German internist born in Alt-Lietzegöricke ( pl, Stare Łysogórki), near Bärwalde in der Neumark ( pl, Mieszkowice), Neumark, Brandenburg. Career The son of a ph ...

. In 1891 Knauer got his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

and worked from October 1891 at the surgical clinic of Theodor Billroth.
In April 1893 he went to II. University Women's Hospital under Rudolf Chrobak, where he qualified in July 1901 for obstetrics and gynaecology

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

.
Knauer had already published his first experimental work on hormonal control of sexual functions as an assistant. They led to the revision of the previous theory of a nerval reflex effect between ovulation and

menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of hor ...

. By transplanting ovaries in

rabbits Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit specie ...

he suspected the existence of a chemical substance produced in the

ovaries The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...

and an internal secretion of the organ. His findings were soon confirmed by experiments of the young Josef Halban at the I. University Women's Hospital Vienna.
Knauer, Halban and Ludwig Fraenkel, who proved the endocrinological function of the

corpus luteum The corpus luteum (Latin for "yellow body"; plural corpora lutea) is a temporary endocrine structure in female ovaries involved in the production of relatively high levels of progesterone, and moderate levels of estradiol, and inhibin A. It is t ...

, are regarded today as the founders of gynaecological

endocrinology Endocrinology (from '' endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental event ...

.Hellmuth Pickel: ''Emil Knauer (1867-1935) Ein früher Pionier der gynäkologischen Endokrinologie.'' Gynäkologe 49 (2016), p. 294-296, DOI:10.1007/s00129-016-3845-x
In April 1903 he succeeded

Alfons von Rosthorn Alfons Edler von Rosthorn (19 September 1857 – 9 August 1909) was an gynecologist in Austria-Hungary who was native of Oed, a village that is located in the district of Wiener Neustadt-Land. In 1885 he earned his doctorate from the University ...

, who moved to the

University Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

, as

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

at the University of Graz.
Here he mainly dedicated himself to the extension of the clinic, which was rebuilt in 1912 according to his plans. He was the academic teacher of Paul Mathes, Hermann Knaus and Hans Zacherl.
He managed the university women's clinic for almost 32 years until his death in 1935. He rejected several calls to other universities. He was also a member of the Academic Senate for 17 years.
Emil Knauer was married and father of 8 children.

Selected publications

* } * Emil Knauer: ''For ovarian transplantation (birth at the normal end of pregnancy after ovarian transplantation in rabbits).'' Zentralbl Gynäkol 22 (1898), pp. 201–203 * Emil Knauer: ''Ovarian Transplantation (Experimental Study).'' Arch Gynecol 60 (1900), pp. 322–376

Literature

* Hans Zacherl: ''In memoriam Hofrat Prof. Dr. Emil Knauer.'' Monatsschr Geburtshilfe Gynäkol 99 (1935), pp. 379–380 * Hermann Knaus: ''Emil Knauer, Graz †.'' Arch Gynäk 159 (1935), p. 429, DOI:10.1007/BF02280559 * Victor Cornelius Medvei: ''The birth of endocrinology Part III.'' In: ''The History of Clinical Endocrinology: A Comprehensive Account of Endocrinology from Earliest Times to the Present Day.'' CRC Press, 1993, , p. 203 * Otto Weininger: ''Sex, Science, and Self in Imperial Vienna.'' In: Chandak Sengoopta: ''The Chicago Series on Sexuality, History, and Society.'' University of Chicago Press, 2000, , p. 77

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knauer, Emil 1867 births 1935 deaths 19th-century Austrian people 20th-century Austrian people Austrian gynaecologists Academic staff of the University of Graz