PHYSIOLOGY WITH COOL OBSESSION - LUDWIG,CARL - HIS TIME IN VIENNA ANDHIS CONTRIBUTION TO ISOLATED ORGAN METHODOLOGY

This short report presents new information on Carl Ludwig's move from Zurich to the chair of physiology in Vienna and the 10 years he spent here and characterizes some of his contributions to experimentation me thodology in working with isolated organs. Two up to now unknown docum ents concerning his call to the chair of physiology and zoology at the Josephs Academy, a military academy; have been found in the Public Re cord Offices in Vienna: a secret service report and the letter of Ludw ig with his conditions for accepting the appointment. Some characteris tic sections are cited. The time in Vienna between 1855 and 1865 is de picted against the background of political processes in Europe after t he 1848 revolution. Ludwig's and his pupils' work with isolated organs is analysed briefly with some examples, especially relating to heart and kidney and a kymographion shown with a 20-channel registration mod ule. The first ''heart-lung machine'' is discussed.