[A contribution to the history of the treatment of middleface-injuries (author's transl)]. / Zur Geschichte der Versorgung von Mittelgesichtsverletzungen.

The first descriptions of facial injuries, especially about hurts of the nose, their diagnosis and their treatment are found in the writings of the old cultures. There are already corresponding references in the Papyrus Edwin Smith and in the Papyrus Ebers. There exist descriptions of the surgery of India and in the papers of Hippocrates, which contribute details to these injuries and their treatments. Here it is pointed to the splinting of the septum by inserting open tubes. A careful bandage, respecting the rebuilding of the nose, and the reposition of lower jaw fractures are remarked. In the Middle Ages there were some innovations in wound-treatment, especially in the technique of suture, but no important innovations in the medical care of middleface-fractures. There are only some modifications in the special treatment, but the surgeons always refer to the already available therapy-methods, mainly to those of Hippocrates. Only towards the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, these themes, particularly the treatment of upper jaw hurts, got new impulses by Graefe, Lang and Le Fort, who also worked out new methods of the external and internal fixation by wire.

[Beginnings of endoscopy]. / Die Anfänge der Endoskopie.

At the beginning of the 19. century emphasis was put on the research for possibilities to get a look into the interior of the abdominal cavity. The "body-cavity" which seemed to be most easily to access was the bladder and thus the development of the endoscopy is practically identical with the elaboration of the cytoscopy. This survey shows the starting phases as well as the further developement of the endoscopy as oesophagus-, gastro- and proctoscopy, the application on the gynaecological sector and the beginning of the laryngoscopy by Czermak and Türck in 1885, although already before their experiments in London in 1829 an instrument being similar to the laryngoscope was described by Babington.

[Infanticide and concealment of pregnancy in Hamburg in the 18. century. Attempt at a sociological and sociomedical analysis]. / Kindermord und verheimlichte Schwangerschaft in Hamburg im 18. Jahrhundert.

PIP: This article illustrates the relationship between the crimes of infanticide and child abandonment and the less well-known crime of concealing an illegitimate pregnancy. Although criminal statistics in a medern sense certainly do not exist for 18th century Hamburg, it is possible to use other available archival material, such as the protocols of the city's major ruling council, to develop some picture of not only the crime but also of the major criminal involved--the unwed mother. This article also deals with the measures taken to prevent these crimes. Although the discussion of punitive measures cannot be neglected, there has been a special attempt made to discuss the philanthropic, educational, and medical means to stop the crime before it has been committed. Particular attention is given to the role of medical personnel, the city's midwives, and a "Geburtshelfer" (male midwives) in uncovering illegitimate pregnancies and registering them with the proper authorities. It is here asserted that such methods were not only directed at preventing infanticides but also at trying to minimize the number of illegitimate and homeless children who inevitably burden the city's charitable institutions.^ieng

[Test over the "Hearing through the openings of the skull after trepanation" in the General Hospital in Hamburg in the year of 1835]. / Versuche über das "Hören durch Schädelöffnungen nach der Trepanation" am Allgemeinen Krankenhaus zu Hamburg im Jahre 1835

Investigations of the French physician Perier on patients after a trepanation of their skulls have shown that talking can be understood in the case of hermetically closed ears by means of the trepanation scar. If the ears were closed and if the trepanation scars were covered by the hand, the patient would hear nothing. Due to these observations, Perier had suggested to treat deafness by trepanation. Johann Carl George Fricke, the first "dirigating surgeon" of the newly erected General Hospital in Hamburg (1823) has taken up these suggestions and carried out similar investigations on two patients. He had a relative great number of patients with head injuries on hand who required a trepanation in many cases. His investigations have shown that any hearing through a trepanation scar has been most likely caused by an illusion and he did see in the observations of Perier and his investigation results only a confirmation of the generally known experience that a perception of a sound will also be caused by a vibration of the skull bone. An attempt to cure deafness by trepanation was rejected as an irrational and not to be approved undertaking