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A Moment in History

Georg Eduard Von Rindfleisch
(1836 – 1908)

German pathologist and histologist of Bavarian nobility ancestry. Rindfleisch studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin, and Heidelberg, earning his MD in 1859 with the thesis “De Vasorum Genesi” (on the generation of vessels) under the tutelage of Rudolf Virchow (1821 - 1902). He then continued as a assistant to Virchow in a newly founded institute in Berlin. He then moved to Breslau in 1861 as an assistant to Rudolf Heidenhain (1834–1897), becoming a professor of pathological anatomy. In 1865 he became full professor in Bonn and in 1874 in Würzburg, where a new pathological institute was built according to his design (completed in 1878), where he worked until his retirement in 1906.

He was the first to describe the inflammatory background of multiple sclerosis in 1863, when he noted that demyelinated lesions have in their center small vessels that are surrounded by a leukocyte inflammatory infiltrate.

After extensive investigations, he suspected an infectious origin of tuberculosis - even before Robert Koch's detection of the tuberculosis bacillus in 1892. Rindfleisch 's special achievement is the description of the morphologically conspicuous macrophages in typhoid inflammation. His distinction between myocardial infarction and myocarditis in 1890 is also of lasting importance.

Associated eponyms

"Rindfleisch's folds": Usually a single semilunar fold of the serous surface of the pericardium around the origin of the aorta. Also known as the plica semilunaris aortæ.

"Rindfleisch's cells": Historical (and obsolete) name for eosinophilic leukocytes.

Personal note: G. Rindfleisch’s book “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” 2nd edition (1873) is now part of my library. This book was translated from German to French by Dr. Frédéric Gross (1844-1927) , Associate Professor of the Medicine Faculty in Nancy, France. The book is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Billroth (1829-1894), an important surgeon whose pioneering work on subtotal gastrectomies paved the way for today’s robotic bariatric surgery. Dr. Miranda.

Sources:
1. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P.; Bartolucci, SL; 1998 Williams and Wilkins
2. "Rindfleisch, Georg Eduard von (bayerischer Adel?)" Deutsche Biographie
3. "The pathology of multiple sclerosis and its evolution" Lassmann H. (1999) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 354 (1390): 1635–40.
4. “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” G.E.
Rindfleisch 2nd Ed (1873) Ballieres et Fils. Paris, Translated by F Gross

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Details: Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D.; Published: March 13, 2015; Hits: 11197

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UPDATED: The root term [-mast-] arises from the Greek [μαστός] or [mastos] meaning "breast". A synonymous prefix is [mamm-] from the Latin [mamma], also meaning "breast". This prefix is used in medical terms such as:

Mastectomy: The suffix [ectomy] means "removal of". Removal of the breast. This is an old operation, the first known records are from 180 A.D. The modern operation for radical mastectomy with careful removal of the related lymphatics was developed by William Halsted (1852 - 1922). The synonym [mammectomy] is correct, though rarely used. The word [masectomy] to refer to this procedure is incorrect and should not be used
Mastoptosis: The suffix [-(o)ptosis] means "to fall", "to sag" or "go down". A falling or sagging of the breast. (Syn. mammoptosis)
Mastoid: The suffix [oid] means "similar to". Similar to a breast or with the shape of a breast, such as the mastoid process, a bony prominence of the temporal bone. See accompanying image
Mastoplasty: The suffix [-(o)plasty] is used to mean "surgical reshaping". Surgical reshaping of the breast. Better known as a mammoplasty
Mastopexy: A type of mastoplasty. The suffix "opexy" is used to mean "surgical fixation". Surgical fixation of the breast. In a mastopexy, the breast is "fixed" higher to reduce the mastoptosis. (Syn. mammopexy)

There is an interesting evolution of this word. The above applies only when the term [-mast-] is used as a root term, and combined with other word components. From the Greek, this term was passed on to Latin and thence evolved with the German term [m?sten] meaning "to feed" or "to fatten". This is why we have [mast cells] in histology. These are a type of mononuclear leukocyte described by Paul Ehrlich (1814 - 1915) in 1879, who named them [maztellen], which in German means "a well-fed cell".

For images of mastoptosis and mastopexy, CLICK HERE. Warning: images depict nude bodies.

Sources:
1. "The Origin of Medical Terms" Skinner, HA 1970 Hafner Publishing Co.
2. "Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary" 28th Ed. W.B. Saunders. 1994
3. "Medical Terminology; Exercises in Etymology" Dunmore CW, Fleischer RM 2nd Ed. 1985
4. "Medical Meanings; A Glossary of Word Origins" Haubrich, WS. Am Coll Phys 1997

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