Jacob Henle

     Jacob Henle contributed directly to the areas of pathology (the study of disease), histology (the study of tissue), physiology (the study of the properties of man in good health), and anatomy, but indirectly to almost all areas of medicine. The books he wrote affected medical thinking all throughout Germany, Europe, and North America.

     Henle wrote many influencial books some of which are "Patologische Untersuchungen", "Allegemeine Anatomie", "Handbuch der Rationellen Pathologie", "Handbuch der Systematischen Anatomies des Menscher", and "Zeitschrift fur Rationelle Medizen"

     He contributed to anatomy by writing "Allegemeine Anatomie" (General Anatomy), a book which brought a great advance over Bichat's earlier classification of tissue. To write the book, he made extensive use of the microscope, and tried to relate structure to function. His goal in writting the book was to "understand the processes and symptoms of disease as the law-like reactions of an organic substance endowed with  peculiar and inalienable powers against abnormal external influences." The great German biologist, Walther Flemming, said Henle's book "contained the  first real, ration tissue theory of the animal body, so comprehensive  and many-sided, that it earned the admiration of the entire biological world."  

     In his book "Patologische Untersuchungen" (Pathological Investigations)he revolutionized the way disease was thought of. He siad that living microscopic agents enter the body multiply, and cause disease. He said there were 3 kinds of agents the 1st maisma enters the body from the enviroment, the 2nd contagia are transmitted by person-to-person contact, and the 3rd miasmatic-contagious agents can enter either way. He studied many diseases to prove his points some of which are rabies, smallpox, and tuberculosis.

     Through reading about Henle I learned how much he contributed to todays medicine through books, professorships, and ideas.

By Matt Thorn