ABSTRACT
Theodor Billroth is quite possibly one of the most remarkable surgeons of the 19th century. It was clear that he believed in the adage that art and science were created from the same source. While he has left us a legacy of surgical procedures and publications, more notable was his gift of spirit and his ability to inspire his pupils: “We go up the steps to gain on each step a new view. Even for the most clever climber there is always enough of the ladder left to climb, the end of which reaches into the clouds.”
