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 the true elementary unit of disease.
The cell is the true elementary unit of health.
The cell is the true elementary unit of pathology.
The cell is the true elementary unit of physiology.
Every cell from a cell.
I have no other ambition than to be useful.
Science in itself is nothing but the search for truth.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
Observation is the only true source of knowledge.
The task of medicine is to prevent disease, not merely to cure it.
The pathologist is the physician of the dead, but also the teacher of the living.
I am a physician and a politician, and I see no contradiction in that.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.
The true physician is a humanist.
We must not forget that the ultimate goal of all medical research is the benefit of humanity.
The greatest discoveries are often made by accident, but only to those who are prepared to see them.
To be a good doctor, one must be a good observer.
The health of the people is the supreme law.
I have always striven to combine theory with practice.
The microscope is my most trusted companion.
Contemporaries of Rudolf Virchow
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902).