Gustav Killian (2 June 1860 – 24 February 1921) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

laryngologist 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 ...

and founder of the

bronchoscopy Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument (bronchoscope) is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a trac ...

Life and death

His father Johann Baptist Caesar Killian (1820–1889), the son of a ''städtischen Wegeaufsehers'' an urban way overseer, Franz Kössler (Hrsg.): ''Register zu den Matrikeln und Inscriptionsbüchern der Universität Gießen WS 1807/08 - WS 1850.'' GIESSEN UNIVBRSITÄTSBIBLIOTHEK (1976), S.92, online
/ref> was a ''doctor of philosophiae'' and high school teacher born in Mainz and later living in Bensheim. His mother Apollonia (1833–1865), née Höpfel died early, at age 31 of

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

. He was also born in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

, and educated at the University of Freiburg-im-Breisgau. He made revolutionary advances in the diagnosis and treatment of affections of the infralaryngeal passages, especially in the

diagnosis Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " cause and effect". In systems engin ...

and removal of foreign bodies in the

bronchial tubes A bronchus is a passage or airway in the lower respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The first or primary bronchi pronounced (BRAN-KAI) to branch from the trachea at the carina are the right main bronchus and the left main bronchus. ...

, by means of his new art of bronchoscopic control. His first college appointment was as assistant to Professor Hack of the chair of

otolaryngology Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...

in Mainz. The sudden death of Wilhelm Hack (1851–1887) led to his succession by Killian, although he was not made professor at the time. His revolutionary activity on

gained him an appointment 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 ...

laryngology Laryngology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders, diseases and injuries of the larynx, colloquially known as the voice box. Laryngologists treat disorders of the larynx, including diseases that affects the voice, swallowing, or upper a ...

in the

University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

at the

Charité The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité – Berlin University of Medicine) is one of Europe's largest university hospitals, affiliated with Humboldt University and Free University Berlin. With numerous Collaborative Research Cen ...

; this was the first professorship of such scope in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Killian introduced another innovation known as suspension laryngoscopy into the technic of his specialty. He wrote no

monograph 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 bronchoscope, and the omission has been supplied by his pupils. His book, ''Die Schwebelaryngoscopic'', appeared in 1920; and in collaboration with Voss was written a volume on military experience, ''Gehörorgan, Obere Luft und Speisengänge'' (1921). A

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

volume was published around 1920. Killian

Term

Killian's operation - * Excision of the anterior wall of the frontal sinus, removal of the diseased tissue, and formation of a permanent communication with the nose. -''The American Illustrated Medical Dictionary'' (1938) Killian bronchoscopy technique

Killian's works

* Über die Bursa und Tonsilla pharyngea (1888) * Die Untersuchung der hinteren Larynxwand (1890) * Die Nebenhöhlen der Nase in ihren Lagebeziehungen zu den Nachbarorganen (1903). English edition: The Accessory sinuses of the nose and their relations to neighbouring parts (1904) * Die Schwebelaryngoskopie und ihre praktische Verwertung (1920)

References

* Hans Killian: ''Gustav Killian, sein Leben, sein Werk, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Bronchologie und Laryngologie''. Dustri-Verlag, Remscheid-Lennep 1958 * Werner Kindler: ''Die Geschichte der Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie in Berlin''. Stuttgart, Georg Thieme Verlag 1956 * Peter K. Plinkert: ''Gustav Killian - Ein Pionier der Endoskopie''. In: HNO 46 (1998), S. 629–630 ;Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Killian, Gustav German otolaryngologists Physicians from Mainz 1860 births 1921 deaths People from Rhenish Hesse

Life and death

Term

Killian's works

See also

References

External links