Biomaterial Database

[Theodor Kocher: surgery and ethics]. 1992

U Tröhler

Institut für Geschichte der Medizin, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen.

Theodor Kocher's (1841-1917) creative participation in the rise of modern surgery and his internationally prominent standing therein at the turn of the century are briefly outlined. Kocher experienced, however, the last decade of his career as a period of transition. First new developments within medicine and surgery questioned some of the new "radical" operations by then seen as sole progressive therapeutic possibilities. Second, new emotional and ethical conflicts ensued for the solution of which the traditional ethos (viz. "to help and to do no harm") was felt to be insufficient: The choice between two therapeutic possibilities and the unjustice of socially stratified treatment. Kocher tried to cope with this transition scientifically by promoting basic research, emotionally and ethically by explicitly stressing his long familiar Christian faith.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013502	General Surgery	A specialty in which manual or operative procedures are used in the treatment of disease, injuries, or deformities.	Surgery,Surgery, General
D013557	Switzerland	A country in Europe. It is bordered by Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Germany. The capital is Bern.
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History