Otto Michael Ludwig Leichtenstern

Biography of Otto Michael Ludwig Leichtenstern

Otto Michael Ludwig Leichtenstern studied in Würzburg and Munich and obtained his doctorate in the latter town in 1869. He later visited the universities and the hospitals of Würzburg, Vienna, Prague, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, Lyon and other cities. From 1869 to 1871 he was assistant physician at the medical clinic in Munich under Karl von Pfeufer (1806-1869) and Joseph von Lindwurm (1824-1874),

In 1871, following the death of Felix Von Niemeyer (1820-1871), he became provisory head of the medical clinic in Tübingen, where he was habilitated in 1871. He became ausserordentlicher professor in 1875, and remained as an assistant at the clinic after the appointment of Carl von Liebermeister (1833-1901). From 1879 Leichtenstern worked as head physician of the internal department of the city hospital of Cologne. This department was then housed in the Bürgerhospital, later in the new built Augusta-Hospital. He remained in this position until his death from pneumonia in 1900.

Leichtenstern is reckoned among the distinguished clinicians of the nineteenth century. His publications concern almost every topic of modern medicine, in particularly many helminthological works on ankylostoma duodenale in various journals.