[Werner Forssmann: "the typical man before his time!" - self-experiment shows feasibility of cardiac catheterization].
Going trough the literature on the history of cardiac catheterization, it is obvious that some authors tend to imprecise reporting or omitting important facts; thus, the truth has been misrepresented deceiving conception. This also applies to Werner Forssmann;s experiments that he conducted on himself that yielded centuries later in awarding him with the Nobel Prize along with the American physicians André Frédéric Cournand and Dickinson Woodruff Richards. With the Nobel Prize outstanding achievements in science were honoured that had opened a new chapter in the history of medicine: diagnostics in cardiology with the aid of a cardiac catheter. Since Forssmann}s article on this experiment gave rise to controversies right from being published, his nomination for the Nobel Prize caused a dispute among German physicians as opposed to his co-nominees; hence, he had to face severe hostility and adverseness. In this review less known details are to be disclosed that resulted in Forssmann;s devastating suicide as well as facets of the biography of a physician who was accused of fraud and charlatanism. This was revoked centuries after an American cardiologist appreciated him as "the typical man before his time".
Goerig
Michael
M
Klinik und Poliklinik für Anästhesiologie, UK Hamburg-Eppendorf. goerig@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Agarwal
Kamayni
K
D032762:Autoexperimentation / Q000266:history*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000266:history*; D002309:Cardiology / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009613:Nobel Prize; D010820:Physicians / Q000266:history*; D015871:Scientific Misconduct / Q000266:history*