born July 20, 1839, Demmin, Prussia
died Aug. 15, 1884, Leipzig
German pioneer of experimental pathology.
While assisting Rudolf Virchow , he confirmed that inflammation results from passage of leukocytes through capillary walls into tissues and that pus is mainly debris from their disintegration. His induction of tuberculosis in a rabbit's eye led to Robert Koch 's discovery of the tuberculosis bacillus. His Lectures on General Pathology (2 vol., 1877–80) far outlasted contemporary texts. His method of freezing tissue for thin slicing for microscopic examination is a standard clinical procedure.