ABSTRACT
RICHARD VON VOLKMANN was born August 17, 1830, in Leipzig, but spent the rest of his life in the university town, Halle, in Saxony where his father was Professor of Anatomy and Physiology. His student days, although poorly documented, must have been profitably spent, for at the age of 26 he was chosen to act as deputy to Professor Blasius, director of the Surgical Clinic of Halle. During this time his great talent in surgery came to be recognized, and he was appointed to the Chair of Surgery in 1867. In the Franco-Prussian War (1870), Volkmann had his first opportunity to put to the test the antiseptic doctrines Lister had begun to popularize some three years before. Although less than satisfied with his results in the field, he introduced the technique into the clinic, upon returning to Halle, with such great success that his clinic became the mecca for surgeons on the continent.
