Robert Friedrich Wilms (9 September 1824 – 23 September 1880) was a German

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

Biography

Wilms was born in

Arnswalde Choszczno (german: Arnswalde) is a town in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 14,831. The town is in a marshy district between the river Stobnica and Klukom lake, southeast of Stargard and o ...

(today Choszczno in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

). He studied medicine in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, and in 1848 became an assistant at the Bethanien Hospital in Berlin. In 1852, he was named an ''ordinirenden'' physician and from 1862 onward, he served as ''Chefarzt'' (chief physician) at Bethanien Hospital. Wilms was a catalyst in establishing Bethanien Hospital as a center of learning for students and young surgical assistants.ADB:Wilms, Friedrich Robert
at ''

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, german: Universal German Biography) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Aca ...

'' Among of his better known assistants in Berlin were

Edmund Rose Edmund Rose (October 10, 1836 – May 31, 1914) was a German surgeon who was a native of Berlin. He studied medicine in Berlin and Würzburg, and subsequently was an assistant to surgeon Robert Ferdinand Wilms in Berlin from 1860 until 1864. F ...

(1836–1914, Heinrich Irenaeus Quincke (1842–1922),

Ernst Georg Ferdinand Küster Ernst Georg Ferdinand Küster (2 November 1839 – 19 April 1930) was a German surgeon born in Wollin. He studied medicine in Bonn, Würzburg and Berlin, and following graduation worked as an assistant to Robert Ferdinand Wilms (1824–1880) at ...

(1839–1930) and Werner Körte (1853–1937). During the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars, Wilms distinguished himself in his role as consultant ''Generalarzt'' (surgeon-general).''Pagel: Biographical Dictionary of Excellent Doctors of the Nineteenth Century''
Berlin, Vienna, 1901, Sp 1858-1859. Wilms is credited for reintroducing tracheal surgery for problems caused by

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 ...

and for his work with operations that included

urethrotomy A urethrotomy is an operation which involves incision of the urethra, especially for relief of a stricture. It is most often performed in the outpatient setting, with the patient (usually) being discharged from the hospital or surgery center withi ...

(surgery of the

urethra The urethra (from Greek οὐρήθρα – ''ourḗthrā'') is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus for the removal of urine from the body of both females and males. In human females and other primates, the urethra con ...

). While still a student, he was part of an expedition headed by

Johannes Peter Müller Johannes Peter Müller (14 July 1801 – 28 April 1858) was a German physiologist, comparative anatomy, comparative anatomist, ichthyology, ichthyologist, and herpetology, herpetologist, known not only for his discoveries but also for his ability ...

(1801–1858) to

Helgoland Heligoland (; german: Helgoland, ; Heligolandic Frisian: , , Mooring Frisian: , da, Helgoland) is a small archipelago in the North Sea. A part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein since 1890, the islands were historically possessions ...

, where he researched

chaetognath The Chaetognatha or chaetognaths (meaning ''bristle-jaws'') are a phylum of predatory marine worms that are a major component of plankton worldwide. Commonly known as arrow worms, about 20% of the known Chaetognatha species are benthic, and can ...

s, which were the topic of his thesis, "''Observationes de Sagitta mare germanicum circa Helgoland''".

References

1824 births 1880 deaths People from Choszczno County German surgeons People from the Province of Brandenburg Prussian people of the Austro-Prussian War German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Humboldt University of Berlin alumni German military doctors Prussian Army personnel Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 1st class {{Germany-med-bio-stub