István Apáthy, also known as Stephan Apáthy (1863–1922), was a Hungarian

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

and histologist, known for his work in medical science and

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory equipment, laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic ...

technique. He particularly studied neurofibrils, and was known for improving microscopic techniques for dealing with tissue samples. Apáthy was a professor at the

Franz Joseph University Royal Hungarian Franz Joseph University () was the second modern university in the Hungarian realm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Founded in 1872, its seat was initially in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca). After World War I, it first moved to Budap ...

. He also theorized on the "social and political aspects" of

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

Biography

Apáthy was born in Budapest where his father was a professor of international law. After high school he went to study medicine and worked at the institute of pathology. He received his doctorate in 1885 and became an assistant to Tivadar Margó. In 1886-89 he was at

Anton Dohrn Felix Anton Dohrn FRS FRSE (29 December 1840 – 26 September 1909) was a prominent German Darwinist and the founder and first director of the first marine-biological and zoological research station in the world, the Stazione Zoologica in Nap ...

's marine biology laboratory in Naples. He took a special interest in neurohistology and conducted studies on marine Hirudines, making use of techniques such as the injection of gold chloride to visualize the neural network. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he became more politically active and the Hungarian Republic appointed him to Romania as commissioner of Transylvanian affairs but his outspoken views led to his imprisonment in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...

. He was however released and he returned to

Szeged University The University of Szeged () is a public research university in Szeged, Hungary. Established as the Jesuit Academy of Kolozsvár in present-day Cluj-Napoca in 1581, the institution was re-established as a university in 1872 by Emperor Franz Jose ...

. His health however declined and he died. His two-volume handbook of microscopic techniques was a very influential contribution.

Eponymous taxa

Taxa named in honor of Stephan Apáthy include: * '' Chamobates apathyi'', a

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

, (Tafner, 1905) * '' Apathya'', a

lacertid The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at about 360 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found i ...

genus with two species, Mehely, 1907 * '' Dina apathyi'', a

leech Leeches are segmented parasitism, parasitic or Predation, predatory worms that comprise the Class (biology), subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the Oligochaeta, oligochaetes, which include the earthwor ...

, Gedroyć, 1916

References

External links

* ''Die Mikrotechnik der thierischen Morphologie'
Volume 1 (1896)Volume 2 (1901)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apathy, Istvan 19th-century Hungarian zoologists Hungarian histologists Members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Academic staff of Franz Joseph University Rectors of the Franz Joseph University 1863 births 1922 deaths Zoologists from Austria-Hungary