Magnus Huss (22 October 1807 – 22 April 1890) was a Swedish physician and professor, knighted with his name retained. He is known for coining the term ''alcoholism'' in 1849, which he used to refer to the pathological changes in the body due to long-term alcohol intoxication. He has also been described the "forefather of Swedish
internal medicine" and the "founder of clinical education in
weden Veden or Weden may refer to
*Veden Manor in Norway
*''Veden varaan'', a pop-rock album from the Finnish group PMMP
* Sven Wedén (1913–1976), Swedish politician
See also
* List of hundreds of Sweden
A hundred is a geographic division formerly ...
.
Biography
Background, education, and career
Magnus Huss was born in Torp,
Medelpad
Medelpad ( or ) is a historical province or ''landskap'' in the north of Sweden. It borders Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia.
The province is a part of Norrland and as such considered to be Northern ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. He was the son of vicar Johan Huss and Catharina Magdalena Hellzén. The family name was taken from his paternal great-grandmother, whose father was the uncle of .
Huss became a student in Uppsala in 1824, received his bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1829, master's in philosophy in 1830, bachelor's in medicine in 1832,
licentiate degree
A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels.
It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin Am ...
in medicine in 1834, master's in surgery in 1835 and doctor of medicine the same year.
The year before, Huss had already been appointed assistant physician at the
Serafimerlasarettet Serafimerlasarettet (Seraphim Hospital), popularly known as ''Serafen'', was the first modern hospital in Sweden. It was located in Kungsholmen in Stockholm and active from 1752 to 1980. The current building still houses the local emergency depart ...
in Stockholm and became assistant professor of medicine and surgery at the
Karolinska Institute
The Karolinska Institute (KI; sv, Karolinska Institutet; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden. The Karolinska Institute is consist ...
in 1835. After spending 1837–1838 in Germany, Austria and France for his scientific studies, he was appointed assistant chief physician at the Serafimerlasarettet in 1839 with the support of anatomist
Anders Retzius
Anders Adolph Retzius (13 October 1796 – 18 April 1860), was a Swedish professor of anatomy and a supervisor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Biography
Retzius was born in Lund, Sweden, in 1796. He enrolled at Lund University in 18 ...
and surgeon . On 1 August that year he opened the first real medical clinic in Sweden. At this clinic the methods of
physical examination
In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally consists of a series of questions about the patien ...
were introduced, including
auscultation
Auscultation (based on the Latin verb ''auscultare'' "to listen") is listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope. Auscultation is performed for the purposes of examining the circulatory and respiratory systems (hea ...
and
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
, in conjunction with a more careful study of
pathological
Pathology is the study of the causal, 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 us ...
anatomy; and by the extraordinary ability and perseverance which Huss developed during his long service as director of the clinic, the above date may be said to form a turning point in the history of Swedish medicine.
In 1840, Huss was appointed senior physician at the Serafimerlasarettet
and temporary professor, and in 1846 tenured professor at the Karolinska Institute. In 1860 he was appointed chairman of the (later the
National Swedish Board of Health The National Swedish Board of Health ( sv, Medicinalstyrelsen) was a Government agencies in Sweden, Swedish government agency between 1878 and 1968, with responsibility for the health and medical services and the pharmacy services. All the activitie ...
) and general director of the hospitals,
lazarettos and
sanatoriums in the kingdom. While working there, he contributed to the founding of what became the
Swedish Dental Association
The Swedish Dental Association ( sv, Sveriges Tandläkarförbund) is the main odontological organization in Sweden. It deals with issues affecting the role of dentists, professional ethics, education and science.
The Swedish Dental Association wa ...
.
He resigned from his position as chairman of the Board of Health in 1864, but remained general director of the hospitals until 1876. During his time as a teacher, Huss also engaged in extensive medical consultancy work.
Writing
Huss was also active as a scientific writer. In 1840 he published (A summary of the medical care in the medico-clinical department of the Serafimerlasarettet during the last five months of 1839). For the years 1840–1842 he also published such reports, which were continued in 1843 with (Clinical analects). In 1845 he published his (Observations on
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
). Huss gained his greatest scientific fame from the 1854
Montyon Prize
The Montyon Prize (french: Prix Montyon) is a series of prizes awarded annually by the French Academy of Sciences and the Académie française. They are endowed by the French benefactor Baron de Montyon.
History
Prior to the start of the French R ...
awarded by the
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (French: ''Académie des sciences'') is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV of France, Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific me ...
for (Alcoholismus chronicus or chronic alcohol disease; two volumes, 1849–1851), in which the pathological changes in the body caused by
chronic alcohol intoxication were first listed as a separate form of disease.
His 1849 work also includes an early description of symptoms similar to
restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), is generally a long-term disorder that causes a strong urge to move one's legs. There is often an unpleasant feeling in the legs that improves somewhat by moving them. This ...
, "more unpleasant than painful," "which usually are associated with the so-called restlessness, when the sick constantly tries to change the position of legs, especially when the evening comes or at night." Further mention may be made of his
monographs
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
(On the statistical conditions and treatment of typhoid fever; 1855, translated into German, French and English) and (On the statistical conditions and treatment of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
; 1860, German translation). For the benefit of the first of these works to American
military physicians during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the
United States Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Se ...
expressed in an official letter his grateful appreciation.
In addition to these works, Huss published in journals a number of major and minor papers, edited financial accounts of the Serafimerlasarettet from 1850 to 1860, and of
Crown Princess Louise's Hospital for Sick Children () from 1852 to 1864, as well as (the Head board's subordinate accounts of the hospitals) 1861–1876.
Description of alcoholism
Huss described alcoholism as follows in his 1849 work, ''Alcoholismus chronicus'':
Public health
The observation of chronic alcoholism led Huss to fight against drinking with all his conviction. Among his writings in this vein are (On the demand for ''
brännvin
Brännvin is a Swedish liquor distilled from potatoes, grain, or (formerly) wood cellulose. It can be plain and colourless, or flavoured with herbs and spices. Beverages labelled ''brännvin'' are usually plain and have an alcohol content between ...
'' and consumption in Sweden, 1853; reprinted from his work , On Sweden's endemic diseases, 1852), (On anemia and consumption in Sweden, 1852) and (On drinking and its consequences for the individual, for the family, for the municipality, for the state, 1882; sold 20,000 copies in the first seven months after its publication). His work played a large role in the passage of the 1855 law banning home distilling.
His 1887 (Warning against the use of spirits and drinking) was to be posted in the classrooms of public schools and folk schools, according to a royal decree of 10 February 1888. In 1865, Huss published the popular work (On coffee; its use and abuse).
At the same time he exercised great influence on a variety of other matters of a hygienic and philanthropic nature. Thus it was at his and 's instigation that Crown Princess Louise's Hospital for Sick Children came into being. In association with professors , , and , Huss issued an invitation to apply for the establishment of the nursing home and then took steps to establish it and organize its first administration.
He was also energetically active in the reorganization of the
Allmänna Barnhuset in Stockholm, the establishment of children's nurseries and improved legislation concerning the care of the mentally ill. He took the initiative for Sweden's first children's nursery, , inspired by similar establishments in Paris. Furthermore, he was chairman of the board of the
Royal Seminary
The Royal Seminary, fully the Royal Advanced Female Teachers' Seminary ( sv, Kungliga Högre Lärarinneseminariet, abbreviated KHLS), was a normal school (teachers' college) in Stockholm, Sweden. It was active from 1861 until 1943. It was the ...
for female teachers and of the board of the (today the
Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences
The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences ( sv, Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan, GIH) in Stockholm is a Sweden, Swedish institution offering higher education in the fields of teaching profession in Physical Education, Sports coaching and Pr ...
), and member of several government-appointed committees.
Entrusted and honorary assignments
Huss was a member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...
(1844), member of the
Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskaps- och Vitterhets-Samhället i Göteborg, abbreviated KVVS and often known simply as ''Samhället'') is a Swedish Royal Academy. Its predecessor was founded in Gothenburg ...
(1846; honorary member 1859), member of the
Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala
The Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskaps-Societeten i Uppsala), is the oldest of the royal academies in Sweden, having been founded in 1710. The society has, by royal decree of 1906, 50 Swedish fellows and 100 foreign. ...
(1850; honorary member 1885) and of the
Royal Physiographic Society in Lund The Royal Physiographic Society in Lund ( sv, Kungliga Fysiografiska Sällskapet i Lund), is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. It was founded in Lund, on December 2, 1772, and received a Royal Charter by Gustav III, on March 6, 1778. (1878).
In 1857 he was raised to the rank of nobleman and served as a member of the knighthood and nobility in the
Riksdag of the Estates
Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...
of 1859–1860, 1862–1863 and 1865–1866. In 1866 he moved to
Östergötland
Östergötland (; English exonym: East Gothland) is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland and the Baltic Sea. In older English li ...
and in 1873–1874 he was a member of the
second chamber
Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...
of the
Riksdag
The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...
for the constituency of
Åkerbo, Bankekind and Hanekind. From 1874 to 1883 he lived at
Kvistrum
Munkedal is a locality and the seat of Munkedal Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 3,718 inhabitants in 2010. Joakim Andersson, an ice hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings, grew up in Munkedal. Olympian Erland Koch was born he ...
in the parish of Gärdserum in northern
Kalmar County
Kalmar County () is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland.
The counties are mainly administrative units. Geo ...
, but returned to Stockholm in the latter year.
Excerpts from Huss's surviving manuscript were published in 1891 under the title (Some sketches and moments from my life).
is the name of a street in the
Saint Göran Hospital area in Stockholm.
Nobility
Huss was knighted in 1857 with his name retained and was introduced in 1858 at the
House of Nobility under number 2327.
[Adel. ätten Huss, N:o 2327](_blank)
in Gabriel Anrep
John Gabriel Anrep (December 4, 1821 – March 12, 1907) was a Swedish genealogist and author.
Biography
He was born on December 4, 1821 at Lekeberg Municipality on the family farm. He moved to Stockholm and was involved in genealogical pub ...
: ''Svenska adelns ättar-taflor'' (1858–1864), volume 2, p. 317.
Family
He married baroness Christina Maria Charlotta Bergenstråhle in 1857.
Huss' only child, Helge Magnus Gabriel Huss (1859–1874), died before his father, upon which the family lineage died out. He was the nephew of , known as .
Huss died in Stockholm in 1890 and is buried at
Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of the Stockholm urban area, located in Solna Municipality. Inaugurated on 9 June 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables.
Nota ...
.
References
Notes
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huss, Magnus
1807 births
1890 deaths
19th-century Swedish physicians
Academic staff of the Karolinska Institute
Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen
Knights of the Order of Charles XIII
Members of the Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg
Members of the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund
Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Members of the Andra kammaren
Members of the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala