Facts and philosophy in neurophysiology. The 200th anniversary of Johannes Müller (1801-1858).
Johannes Müller was the founder of the first school of physiology in Germany. His anatomical, morphological and physiological research as well as his epistemological view of scientific medicine opened the way to a deeper understanding of the structure and the function of the organism. With important discoveries like the law of sense energy, the reflex movement and the definition of different organic stimuli, he enriched the knowledge of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and sensory physiology and smoothed the way to an experimental physiology. All his famous students like Hermann von Helmholtz, Emil Du Bois-Reymond, Ernst Brücke, Jakob Henle, Robert Remak, Rudolf Virchow and Ernst Haeckel solved many crucial research problems, which Müller identified and pointed out to them as open questions, due to the insufficient methods of investigation. Müller's research method, epistemological view of biological sciences, and his open-minded personal style encouraged the development of new methods adapted to particular problems.
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Department History of Medicine, Medical University, Hannover. lohff.brigitte@mh-hannover.de
D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D009482:Neurophysiology / Q000266:history*; D010684:Philosophy / Q000266:history