Ferdinand Siegert (22 April 1865, in Neuwied am Rhein – 21 February 1946, in Köln) was a German pediatrician. His name is associated with "Siegert's sign", defined as shortness and inward curvature of the terminal phalanges of the

little finger The little finger, or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human hand, and next to the ring finger. Etymology The word "pinkie" is derived from the Dutch word ''p ...

s in

Down syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...

. In 1889 he received his medical doctorate form the

University of Strassburg The University of Strasbourg (french: Université de Strasbourg, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. The French university traces its history to the ea ...

, subsequently serving as a secondary physician in

Mödling Mödling () is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna. Mödling lies in Lower Austria's industrial zone (Industrieviertel). The Mödlingbach, a brook which rises in the Vienna Woods, ...

near

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

. Afterwards, he worked as an assistant under

Friedrich Wilhelm Zahn Friedrich Wilhelm Zahn (14 February 1845 – 1904) was a German-Swiss pathologist born in Germersheim. His eponyms include Zahn infarct and lines of Zahn. Life Zahn studied medicine at the University of Strasbourg under Friedrich Daniel von Reck ...

at the institute of

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

, and as an assistant to Oswald Kohts at the university children's clinic in Strassburg. While at Strassburg, he founded a ''Säuglingsfürsorge'' (an infant care institution) and a ''Säuglingsheilstatt'' (nursing home for infants).Ferdinand Siegert
@

Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...

In 1904, he was appointed an associate professor of pediatrics at the

University of Halle Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university in ...

, soon afterwards relocating to

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

as chair of pediatrics at the academy of practical medicine. In 1919 he moved to the

University of Cologne The University of Cologne (german: Universität zu Köln) is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in the year 1388 and is one of the most prestigious and research intensive universities in Germany. It was the sixth university to ...

as a professor of pediatrics. Siegert is remembered for his work with

infectious disease 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 di ...

s, especially

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

. He was particularly interested in the inheritability of

rickets Rickets is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children, and is caused by either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping. Complications ma ...

as well as the

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

al needs of children ( protein requirements).

Publications

* ''Vier Jahre vor und nach der Einführung der Serumbehandlung der Diphterie''. Berlin, 1900. - Four years before and after the introduction of serum treatment for diphtheria. * ''Die Chorea minor, der Veitstanz : (Sydenham'sche Chorea, Chorea infectiosa)'', 1908 (part of the series: Würzburger Abhandlungen aus dem Gesamtgebiet der praktischen Medizin -

Chorea Chorea (or choreia, occasionally) is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, one of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesias. The term ''chorea'' is derived from the grc, χορεία ("dance"; see choreia), as the quick movem ...

, St. Vitus Dance ( Sydenham's chorea, infectious chorea). * ''Erkrankungen der Schilddrüse''. Handbuch der Kinderheilkunde, 2nd edition, volume 3, Leipzig, 1910. -

Thyroid disease Thyroid disease is a medical condition that affects the function of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones that travel through the blood to help regulate many other organs, meaning ...

. * ''Die Athyrecose im Kindesalter''. Handbuch der inneren Sekretionen, volume 3, 1;

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

, 1928 - Athyreosis in childhood. * ''Atlas der normalen Ossifikation der menschlichen Hand'', 1935 (part of the series: Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Röntgenstrahlen) - Atlas on the normal ossification of the human hand.WorldCat Search
(publications)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siegert, Ferdinand 1865 births 1946 deaths University of Strasbourg alumni Academic staff of the University of Halle Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Academic staff of the University of Cologne German pediatricians People from Neuwied People from the Rhine Province