Wilhelm Löffler

Born 1887
Died 1972

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Swiss internist, born June 28, 1887, Basel; died 1972.

Biography of Wilhelm Löffler

Wilhelm Löffler studied in Geneva, Vienna, Strassburg, and Basel, where he obtained his doctorate in 1911. He worked in the pathological-anatomical institute in Basel under Heidinger 1911-1912, in the physiological-chemical institute in Strassburg under Franz Hofmeister (1850-1922) 1912-1913, and 1913-1921 at the medical clinic in Basel with Rudolf Staehelin (1875-). Löffler in 1917 was habilitated for internal medicine, in 1921 became extraordinary professor of medicine and director of the university medical policlinic at the University of Zurich, succeeding Otto Nägeli (1871-1938).

A well-rounded clinical investigator equally at home in the laboratory or ward, he introduced the mass X-ray surveys in Switzerland and was one of the first to use insulin. He first described diffuse mural endocarditis - endocarditis parietalis fibroplastica with eosinophilia, giving congestive cardiac failure. A renowned teacher of the scientific method in clinical medicine.

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