Harald Hirschsprung
Encyclopedia
Harald Hirschsprung was a Danish
physician
who first described Hirschsprung's disease
in 1886.
.
Hirschsprung, an intelligent student in high school
, chose to become a doctor instead of taking over his father's tobacco
factory
. He passed his acceptance exam for university in 1848 and passed the Staatsexamen
in 1855. He was interested in rare diseases concerning the gut
throughout his life, and one such, atresia
of the oesophagus and small bowel, was the subject of his doctoral thesis, presented in May 1861.
He became the first Danish pediatrician in 1870, when he was appointed to a hospital for neonates. In 1879, he was made the chief physician at the Queen Louisa Hospital for Children, which opened in 1879. He was appointed a professor
of pediatrics in 1891.
Hirschsprung taught small classes on Sunday mornings between 9 and 11, to ensure that only truly dedicated students would come. He was not a great teacher, however, having problems with public speaking
and a penchant to focus on rare cases rather than those most beneficial to general practice.
Hirschsprung got free health care
for poor children while continuing to require patients of more able means to pay. He also went against the wishes of the queen, the hospital's namesake, in his insistence that pictures of animals, rather than biblical
text, be placed above each child's bed.
In 1904, when he was 74 years old, Hirschsprung was forced to resign from his practice due to "cerebral sclerosis." He continued his study of what would later come to be called Hirschsprung's disease until his poor health prevented him, and lived out his retirement in his country house in Öresund
. Whonamedit.com says that: "After the death of his wife in 1910 his life was darkened by a progrediating sclerosis."
, intussusception
, rickets
, and rheumatic nodules, but he is most well-known for his work on the disease that later came to bear his name.
At the congress of the Gesellschaft für Kinderheilkunde (Berlin Congress for Children's Diseases) in Berlin
, Hirschsprung gave a lecture about what would become "his" disease. It was titled "Stuhlträgheit Neugeborener in Folge von Dilatation und Hypertrophie des Colons" and was published one year later.
He spoke of two infants who had died from the disease, constipation
associated with dilatation and hypertrophy of the colon
, and near the end of his lecture said that: "it appears unquestionable that the condition is caused in utero
, either as a developmental abnormality or as a disease process." He published an account of the disease, which he believed to be a new condition, two years later.
Although he was the first to describe the condition, he erroneously believed the proximal, dilated bowel to be diseased. We now know that the diseased segment of intestine is the distal portion (down to the rectum
), which lacks ganglion
cells and can therefore not relax. This contracted state (sometimes called rectal achalasia
) prevents the passage of stools and causes intestinal obstruction and constipation
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who first described Hirschsprung's disease
Hirschsprung's disease
Hirschsprung's disease , or congenital aganglionic megacolon is a serious medical problem where the enteric nervous system is missing from the end of the bowel. The enteric nervous system is a complex network of neurons and glia that controls most aspects of intestinal function...
in 1886.
Life and medical career
Harald Hirschsprung was a native of CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Hirschsprung, an intelligent student in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, chose to become a doctor instead of taking over his father's tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
. He passed his acceptance exam for university in 1848 and passed the Staatsexamen
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
in 1855. He was interested in rare diseases concerning the gut
Gut (zoology)
In zoology, the gut, also known as the alimentary canal or alimentary tract, is a tube by which bilaterian animals transfer food to the digestion organs. In large bilaterians the gut generally also has an exit, the anus, by which the animal disposes of solid wastes...
throughout his life, and one such, atresia
Atresia
Atresia is a condition in which a body orifice or passage in the body is abnormally closed or absent.Examples of atresia include:* Imperforate anus - malformation of the opening between the rectum and anus....
of the oesophagus and small bowel, was the subject of his doctoral thesis, presented in May 1861.
He became the first Danish pediatrician in 1870, when he was appointed to a hospital for neonates. In 1879, he was made the chief physician at the Queen Louisa Hospital for Children, which opened in 1879. He was appointed a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of pediatrics in 1891.
Hirschsprung taught small classes on Sunday mornings between 9 and 11, to ensure that only truly dedicated students would come. He was not a great teacher, however, having problems with public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
and a penchant to focus on rare cases rather than those most beneficial to general practice.
Hirschsprung got free health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
for poor children while continuing to require patients of more able means to pay. He also went against the wishes of the queen, the hospital's namesake, in his insistence that pictures of animals, rather than biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
text, be placed above each child's bed.
In 1904, when he was 74 years old, Hirschsprung was forced to resign from his practice due to "cerebral sclerosis." He continued his study of what would later come to be called Hirschsprung's disease until his poor health prevented him, and lived out his retirement in his country house in Öresund
Oresund
The Sound , is the strait that separates the Danish island Zealand from the southern Swedish province of Scania. Its width is just at the narrowest point between Helsingør, Denmark, and Helsingborg, Sweden...
. Whonamedit.com says that: "After the death of his wife in 1910 his life was darkened by a progrediating sclerosis."
Hirschsprung's disease
Hirschsprung published on many areas of pediatrics, including pyloric stenosisPyloric stenosis
Pyloric stenosis is a condition that causes severe vomiting in the first few months of life. There is narrowing of the opening from the stomach to the intestines, due to enlargement of the muscle surrounding this opening , which spasms when the stomach empties...
, intussusception
Intussusception
Intussusception may refer to:* Intussusception * Intussusception...
, rickets
Rickets
Rickets is a softening of bones in children due to deficiency or impaired metabolism of vitamin D, magnesium , phosphorus or calcium, potentially leading to fractures and deformity. Rickets is among the most frequent childhood diseases in many developing countries...
, and rheumatic nodules, but he is most well-known for his work on the disease that later came to bear his name.
At the congress of the Gesellschaft für Kinderheilkunde (Berlin Congress for Children's Diseases) in 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...
, Hirschsprung gave a lecture about what would become "his" disease. It was titled "Stuhlträgheit Neugeborener in Folge von Dilatation und Hypertrophie des Colons" and was published one year later.
He spoke of two infants who had died from the disease, constipation
Constipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
associated with dilatation and hypertrophy of the colon
Colon (anatomy)
The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...
, and near the end of his lecture said that: "it appears unquestionable that the condition is caused in utero
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
, either as a developmental abnormality or as a disease process." He published an account of the disease, which he believed to be a new condition, two years later.
Although he was the first to describe the condition, he erroneously believed the proximal, dilated bowel to be diseased. We now know that the diseased segment of intestine is the distal portion (down to the rectum
Rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long...
), which lacks ganglion
Ganglion
In anatomy, a ganglion is a biological tissue mass, most commonly a mass of nerve cell bodies. Cells found in a ganglion are called ganglion cells, though this term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to retinal ganglion cells....
cells and can therefore not relax. This contracted state (sometimes called rectal achalasia
Achalasia
Achalasia , also known as esophageal achalasia, achalasia cardiae, cardiospasm, and esophageal aperistalsis, is an esophageal motility disorder involving the smooth muscle layer of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter...
) prevents the passage of stools and causes intestinal obstruction and constipation
Constipation
Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation...
.