Herman Boerhaave, the Dutch Hippocrates, a Forgotten Father of Medicine

Am Surg. 2018 Mar 1;84(3):323-325.

Abstract

In today's medical community, when people say the name Herman Boerhaave, most assimilate it to Boerhaave syndrome. His influence on medicine is seen every day in hospitals around the world. His methodologies revolutionized medical education and the way physicians approach the examination of patients. It has been said that during the Age of Reason, he was the "Bearer of the Enlightenment of Medicine." He is a forgotten father of medicine. To preserve medical history, educators should give students a brief summary of the contributors to medicine to remind us how much of their lives they gave to further medical knowledge.

Publication types

  • Biography
  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Education, Medical / history*
  • History, 17th Century
  • History, 18th Century
  • Humans
  • Netherlands
  • Physical Examination / history

Personal name as subject

  • Herman Boerhaave