[Antiseptics in Germany. The formation of surgical knowledge 1872-1892]. / Antisepsis in Deutschland. Zur Wissenschafts-geschichte der Chirurgie 1872-1892.

The paper deals with the impact of antisepsis on German surgery between 1872 and 1892. It describes the acceptance of Lister's treatment as the result of a therapeutic mass experiment. In the face of tremendous mortality rates in the surgical wards of general and larger academic hospitals, the evidence persuaded the critics within only few years, wile the discussion on theoretical questions was intentionally avoided. The author suggests to reconsider the impact of bacteriology on modern surgery and to put more emphasis on professional and social developments, and on the role of evidence in hospital medicine.

[Professional medical history in the FRG in search for a lobby: looking back at discussions of the 1970s]. / Vom Ordinarientreffen zum Fachverband Medizingeschichte e.V.: Ein Rückblick auf Diskussionen der 1970er Jahre.

The "Fachverband Medizingeschichte e.V." was founded in 1978 by the professional medical historians of Western Germany (FRG) in order to represent the interests of the academic discipline within the medical faculties of the universities and in relation to the public authorities. This paper reflects on the years preceding the foundation of this association and on the intellectual atmosphere of the 1970s, when the students' revolt and university reform had challenged for the first time the traditional role of full professors (Ordinarien) and had opened doors to discussions on the function of medical history within the medical curriculum.

[Agnes Bluhm, the woman scientist among the eugenics specialists, and the women's movement]. / Agnes Bluhm, die Wissenschaftlerin unter den Rassenhygienikern, und die Frauenbewegung.

The paper tries to assess the early female physician Agnes Bluhm (1862-1943) as one of the outstanding German female scientists of her time and draws up a connection from her achievements in early genetics to her commitments in eugenics and feminism. This leads to a more precise judgement on her position within the German racial hygiene and allows to correct misunderstandings that have assigned Bluhm to the right wing in the German women's movement.