Walter Traugott Ulrich Pagel (12 November 1898 – 25 March 1983) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...

and medical historian. Pagel was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

, the son of the famous physician and historian of medicine

Julius Leopold Pagel Julius Leopold Pagel (29 May 1851, Pollnow – 30 January 1912, Berlin) was a German physician and historian of medicine. Pagel was educated at the gymnasium at Stolp and at the University of Berlin (M.D. 1875). In 1876 he established hims ...

. He married Dr. Magda Koll in 1920 and with her had a son,

Bernard Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "bra ...

, in 1930. Pagel took his doctorate in Berlin in 1922 and became professor in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German: ') is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, of which roughly a quarter consisted of students ...

in 1931. The family moved to Britain in 1933 for fear of prosecution as Jews. Pagel practiced as Consultant Pathologist to the Central Middlesex Hospital,

Harlesden Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London. Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west toward ...

, in Greater London From 1939 to 1956, and continued at the Clare Hall Hospital, Barnet,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...

from 1956 to 1967, when he retired. Following his retirement he began to devote his efforts to writing the

history of medicine The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies. More than just histo ...

. Walter Pagel died in

Mill Hill Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18,4 ...

in 1983.

Selected publications

*''The Religious and Philosophical Aspects of Van Helmont’s Science and Medicine'', Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1944. * ''Paracelsus: An Introduction to Philosophical Medicine in the Era of the Renaissance'', New York: Karger, 1958; 2nd. ed. 1982, French and German translations 1962. * ''William Harvey's Biological Ideas: Selected Aspects and Historical Background'', New York: Karger, 1967. *''New Light on William Harvey'', New York: Karger, 1976. * ''Joan Baptista van Helmont: Reformer of Science and Medicine'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982. * ''The Smiling Spleen: Paracelsianism in Storm and Stress'', New York: Karger, 1984.

Awards

He was awarded the

Dexter Award The HIST Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry (2013-present) is given by the Division of the History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award was originally known as the Dexter Award (1956-2001) and th ...

(1969),Walter Pagel received the Dexter Award for his skill in bringing out the relationship between Renaissance medicine and chemistry, in particular for his work on

Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. He ...

and van Helmont. the

George Sarton Medal The George Sarton Medal is the most prestigious award given by the History of Science Society. It has been awarded annually since 1955. It is awarded to an historian of science from the international community who became distinguished for "a lifet ...

(1970), Julius Pagel Medal (1971), the

Robert Koch Prize The Robert Koch Medal and Award are two prizes awarded annually by the German for excellence in the biomedical sciences. These awards grew out of early attempts by German physician Robert Koch to generate funding to support his research into the ...

(1973) and in 1976 the William H. Welch Medal along with becoming a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # ...

. In 1979 he was awarded th
Paracelsus Ring
(with Gotbert Moro).

References

1898 births 1983 deaths Physicians from Berlin German pathologists Historians of science Fellows of the British Academy Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom {{germany-med-bio-stub