Leonardo Botallus

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A Moment in History

Georg Eduard Von Rindfleisch
(1836 – 1908)

German pathologist and histologist of Bavarian nobility ancestry. Rindfleisch studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin, and Heidelberg, earning his MD in 1859 with the thesis “De Vasorum Genesi” (on the generation of vessels) under the tutelage of Rudolf Virchow (1821 - 1902). He then continued as a assistant to Virchow in a newly founded institute in Berlin. He then moved to Breslau in 1861 as an assistant to Rudolf Heidenhain (1834–1897), becoming a professor of pathological anatomy. In 1865 he became full professor in Bonn and in 1874 in Würzburg, where a new pathological institute was built according to his design (completed in 1878), where he worked until his retirement in 1906.

He was the first to describe the inflammatory background of multiple sclerosis in 1863, when he noted that demyelinated lesions have in their center small vessels that are surrounded by a leukocyte inflammatory infiltrate.

After extensive investigations, he suspected an infectious origin of tuberculosis - even before Robert Koch's detection of the tuberculosis bacillus in 1892. Rindfleisch 's special achievement is the description of the morphologically conspicuous macrophages in typhoid inflammation. His distinction between myocardial infarction and myocarditis in 1890 is also of lasting importance.

Associated eponyms

"Rindfleisch's folds": Usually a single semilunar fold of the serous surface of the pericardium around the origin of the aorta. Also known as the plica semilunaris aortæ.

"Rindfleisch's cells": Historical (and obsolete) name for eosinophilic leukocytes.

Personal note: G. Rindfleisch’s book “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” 2nd edition (1873) is now part of my library. This book was translated from German to French by Dr. Frédéric Gross (1844-1927) , Associate Professor of the Medicine Faculty in Nancy, France. The book is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Billroth (1829-1894), an important surgeon whose pioneering work on subtotal gastrectomies paved the way for today’s robotic bariatric surgery. Dr. Miranda.

Sources:
1. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P.; Bartolucci, SL; 1998 Williams and Wilkins
2. "Rindfleisch, Georg Eduard von (bayerischer Adel?)" Deutsche Biographie
3. "The pathology of multiple sclerosis and its evolution" Lassmann H. (1999) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 354 (1390): 1635–40.
4. “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” G.E.
Rindfleisch 2nd Ed (1873) Ballieres et Fils. Paris, Translated by F Gross

"Clinical Anatomy Associates, Inc., and the contributors of "Medical Terminology Daily" wish to thank all individuals who donate their bodies and tissues for the advancement of education and research”.

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Details: Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D.; Published: September 09, 2013; Hits: 7888

This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.

Click for a larger image

Leonardo Botallus (c.1530- ??) Italian anatomist and physician,Leonardo Botallus (also known as Botalli, Botallo, or Botal) was born circa 1530 in the region of Piedmont. Botallus studied medicine at the italian university of Pavia, where he was a student under Gabrielle Fallopius. Botallus graduated circa 1553. He was an avid advocate of bloodletting, causing him to direct his anatomical studies towards the subject of the vascular system. Although he did not discover the foramen ovale and the ductus arteriosus, he mentions these structures by those names in both his posthumous publications " De via sanguinis a dextro in sinistro cordis ventriculum" (1640) and "Opera Omnia Medica et Chirurgica" (1660)

In France Botallus became physician to King Charles IX. Not much more is known about Botallus, and history fails to record his date and place of death, as well as his image. The image depicted here is from his 1660 publication. Click on the image for a larger depiction.

Botallus' name is eponymically remembered in the following structures:

Foramen of Botallus: The foramen ovale, an opening found in the fetus in the region of the fossa ovalis that closes upon birth
Duct of Botallus: A communicating vessel between the left pulmonary artery and the proximal region of the descending aorta, part of fetal circulation, also known as the ductus arteriosus
Ligament of Botallus: The closed ductus arteriosus in the adult

Sources:
1. "History of medicine; a correlative text, arranged according to subjects" Mettler, C Ch. 1947 The Blakiston Co
2. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P; Bartolucci, SL. Williams & Wilkins 1998
3. "The origin of Medical Terms" Skinner, AH, 1970
4. "The First Closure of the Persistent Ductus Arteriosus" Alexi-Meskishvili,V; B?ttcher, W. Ann Thorac Surg 2010;90:349 –56
NOTE: There is no known image of Botallus. Skinner's "Origin of Medical Terms" shows one, but we could not confirm the origin of the image. If you know or have one, let us know!

Leonardo Botallus

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