Rudolf Virchow
The 'father of modern pathology,' he emphasized that diseases arise from changes in cells, not humors.
Most quoted
"The cell is the ultimate morphological unit in which there is any manifestation of life, and we must not imagine that it is a mere aggregation of elementary particles."
— from Die Cellularpathologie in ihrer Begründung auf physiologische und pathologische Gewebelehre, 1858
"The improvement of medicine would eventually prolong human life, but improvement of social conditions could achieve this result more rapidly and more successfully."
"The characteristic feature of all infectious diseases is that they are caused by the transfer of a living agent from a diseased to a healthy individual."
All quotes by Rudolf Virchow (361)
The cell is immortal. It is merely the fluid in which it floats that degenerates.
The physician must be a scientist, an artist, and a humanitarian.
The greatest discovery in medicine is the discovery of the cell.
Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing but medicine on a large scale.
Every cell is a life unto itself, and the body is a society of cells.
Where there is life, there is a cell; where there is a cell, there is life.
The ultimate goal of medicine is the health of the community.
Life is a continuous struggle against the forces of destruction.
The body is a microcosm, reflecting the macrocosm.
Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority.
Science is the only true theology.
The task of science is to discover the laws of nature, not to invent them.
Observation, experiment, and reason are the only sources of knowledge.
The human body is a masterpiece of nature.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but truth is in the nature of things.
The human mind is capable of understanding the universe.
Consciousness is the highest form of life.
The meaning of life is to live it to the fullest.
Death is a natural part of life.
The fear of death is the fear of the unknown.
Contemporaries of Rudolf Virchow
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902).