Georg Eduard von Rindfleisch (December 15, 1836–1908) was a German pathologist who was a native of Köthen (Anhalt). He studied medicine in Würzburg

Würzburg

Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....

 and Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, earning his doctorate in 1859. After attaining his degree he was an assistant to Rudolf Virchow

Rudolf Virchow

Rudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...

, and later practiced medicine in Breslau, Zurich

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

 and Bonn

Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....

. In 1874 he attained the chair of pathology at the University of Würzburg

University of Würzburg

The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...

.

Rindfleisch is remembered for his work in the field of histology

Histology

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...

. He was one of the first proposers of a vascular theory for multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

 after noticing in 1863 that the inflammation-associated lesions were distributed around veins. This work was the ground layer for the later Tracy Putnam

Tracy Putnam

Tracy Jackson Putnam was the co-discoverer, together with H. Houston Merritt, of Dilantin for controlling epilepsy.He graduated from Harvard College in 1915. Later from Harvard medical school in 1920. He worked by the Boston City Hospital and in the New York Neurological Institute at Columbia...

 work in the vascular theory of MS.

He wrote a highly influential work on pathological histology that was later translated into English. He was one of the leading advocates of scientific "neo-vitalism".

Associated eponyms:

• Rindfleisch's folds: Semilunar folds of the serous surface of the pericardium
  Pericardium
  The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.-Layers:...
  
   around the beginning of the aorta
  Aorta
  The aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...
  
  . Also known as the ascending aortic fold.
• Rindfleisch's cells: Historical name for eosinophilic
  Eosinophilic
  Eosinophilic refers to the staining of certain tissues, cells, or organelles after they have been washed with eosin, a dye.Eosin is an acidic dye; thus, the structure being stained is basic....
  
   leukocytes.

Selected writings

• Lehrbuch der patologischen Gewebelehre. Engelmann, Leipzig 1867.
• Die Elemente der Pathologie: ein natürlicher Grundriss der wissenschaftlichen Medicin. Engelmann, Leipzig 1883.
• Ärztliche Philosophie: Festrede zur Feier des 306. Stiftungstages der Königlichen Julius-Maximilians-Universität. Hertz, Würzburg 1888.