Richard Kretz (12 May 1865 – 13 May 1920) was an Austrian

pathologist 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 ...

born in

Bruck an der Mur Bruck an der Mur is a city of some 13,500 people located in the district Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, in the Austrian state of Styria. It is located at the confluence of the Mur and Mürz Rivers. Its manufacturing includes metal products and paper. Br ...

Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...

. He is remembered for pathological research involving regenerative and degenerative processes that take place in

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

. Kretz earned his medical doctorate 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 ...

, and following graduation worked as assistant to

Hans Kundrat Hans Kundrat (6 October 1845 – 25 April 1893) was a pathologist born in Vienna, Austrian Empire. He studied medicine in Vienna, and as a student he was a demonstrator under Josef Hyrtl and Karl von Rokitansky. In 1868 he received his medic ...

(1845-1893) at the clinic for pathological anatomy in Vienna. In 1887 he received his

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 ...

, and in 1893 relocated to

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, where he succeeded Hans Chiari (1851-1916) as professor of pathology. From 1910 to 1913 he was professor of pathology at the

University of Würzburg The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. The University of Würzburg is one of ...

Written works

* ''Ein Fall von Syringomyelie'' (1890) – A case of syringomyelia. * ''Uber einen Fall von Tuberculose des weiblichen Genitalcanales, combinirt mit Aträsie der Vagina'' (1891) – Involving a case 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 ...

of the female genital canals, combined with vaginal atresia. * ''Circumscripte Keratose im Larynx'' (1891) – Circumscribed keratosis in the

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal inlet is about ...

. * ''Über Hypertrophie und Regeneration des Lebergewebes'', Wiener klin. Wochenschr. 1894, S. 365. - On hypertrophy and regeneration of liver tissue. * ''Hämosiderin-Pigmentirung der Leber und Lebercirrhose'', 1896 –

Hemosiderin Hemosiderin image of a kidney viewed under a microscope. The brown areas represent hemosiderin Hemosiderin or haemosiderin is an iron-storage complex that is composed of partially digested ferritin and lysosomes. The breakdown of heme gives rise ...

- pigmentation involving the liver and liver cirrhosis. * ''Ueber Lebercirrhose'', 1899 – On liver cirrhosis.WorldCat Identities
(publications)

References

University of Wurzburg Pathological Institute, Historical Directors- Richard Kretz
Das geistige Wien
by Ludwig Eisenberg and Richard Kroner (biographical information)

External links

American Medicine, Volume 11
Cirrhosis of the liver and associated conditions by Aller G. Ellis. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kretz, Richard 1865 births 1920 deaths People from Bruck an der Mur Austrian pathologists Academic staff of the University of Würzburg Academic staff of Charles University