THE PERSON BEHIND THE EPONYM - VONLUDWIG,WILHELM,FREDERICK (1790-1865)

In 1836, Wilhelm Frederick von Ludwig described a fast-spreading, near ly always fatal infection involving the connective tissues of the neck and floor of the mouth. Named after this Stuttgart physician, the con dition has been known since as ''Ludwig's angina''. This biographical sketch highlights the life and times of the man behind the eponym, who was lauded for his surgical prowess at the age of 19, went on to beco me president of the Wurttemberg Medical Association, and whose name an d the condition he described continue to be recognized today.