August von Rothmund, Jr.
| Born | 1830 |
| Died | 1906 |
Related eponyms
Biography of August von Rothmund, Jr.
August von Rothmund, Jr. was born in Volkach, a small town in the Unterfranken district of Germany. He was the son of Franz Christoph von Rothmund (1801-1891), one of the prominent surgeons of 19th century Germany. After obtaining his medical doctorate at Munich in 1853 he moved to Berlin for education in ophthalmology under Albrecht von Graefe (1828-1870). A generation earlier von Graefe's father, Carl Ferdinand von Graefe (1787-1840), known as the father of modern plastic surgery, had been Rothmund's father's mentor.
After further experience in the centres - he studied with Carl Ferdinand von Arlt (1812-1887) in Prague and with Eduard Jaeger Ritter von Jaxtthal (1818-1884) in Vienna - Rothmund returned to Munich. He taught ophthalmology at the University of Munich from 1854, and was in charge of the surgical policlinic, the Reisingerianum. He became extraordinary professor of ophthalmology in 1859, and in 1863 was appointed full professor. Due to lack of facilities he at first had to do with private eye clinic, until he got a university eye clinic in 1879. From 1882, with Oskar Eversbusch (1853-1912), he reported from this clinic in the Mitteilungen aus der Kaiserlichen Universitäts-Augenklinik. In 1897 he became head of the State Eye Clinic and thereafter developed an extensive practice.
Rothmund was a noted teacher, witty and with a great sense of humour that endeared him to his students.
"He who has lots to do, has no time to write books and authors often seem to have very little essential experience. The chief duties of a university lecturer are to teach and to teach well."
Rothmund published very little, but his publications were of outstanding quality.
Rothmund was granted emeritus status on his retirement in 1900 after almost four decades as professor of ophthalmology.
Bibliography
- Oskar Eversbusch:
Zur Erinnerung an August von Rothmund. München, 1906. - Julius Hirschberg, in Centralblatt für Augenheilkunde, 1906; 347.
- Julius Hirschberg, Deutschlands Augenärzte, 1911 (Graefe-Sämisch 14, 2: 345; 15, 2: 212-217).