VIRCHOW, RUDOLF (CARL)

born , Oct. 13, 1821, Schivelbein, Pomerania, Prussia died Sept. 5, 1902, Berlin Virchow German pathologist and statesman, one of the most prominent physicians of the 19th century. He pioneered the modern concept of pathological processes by his application of the cell theory to explain the effects of disease in the organs and tissues of the body. He emphasized that diseases arose, not in organs or tissues in general, but primarily in their individual cells. Moreover, he campaigned vigorously for social reforms and contributed to the development of anthropology as a modern science.