Carl Anton Ewald (30 October 1845 – 20 September 1915) was a German

gastroenterologist Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- "belly", -énteron "intestine", and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometime ...

who was a native of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. He was the brother of

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out chemical and ...

Ernst Julius Richard Ewald Ernst Julius Richard Ewald (14 February 1855 – 22 July 1921) was a German physiologist born in Berlin. He was a younger brother to gastroenterologist Carl Anton Ewald (1845–1915). In 1880, after finishing his studies in mathematics, physics an ...

(1855–1921). In 1870, he earned his medical

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in Berlin, and subsequently became an assistant to

pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. 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 the context of modern medical treatme ...

Friedrich Theodor von Frerichs Friedrich Theodor von Frerichs (24 March 1819 – 14 March 1885) was a German pathologist born in Aurich. After earning his medical degree from the University of Göttingen in 1841, he returned to Aurich, where he spent several years working a ...

(1819–1885). In 1888, he was appointed head physician of the department of

internal medicine Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...

at Augusta Hospital in Berlin. Carl Ewald was a pioneer in the field of

gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- "belly", -énteron "intestine", and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometime ...

, and was a catalyst in making Augusta Hospital a center for

pathological Pathology is the study of disease. 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 the context of modern medical treatme ...

studies of

digestion Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food compounds into small water-soluble components so that they can be absorbed into the blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into th ...

. Ewald is remembered for investigations of gastric secretions, and the introduction of

intubation Intubation (sometimes entubation) is a medical procedure involving the insertion of a tube into the body. Most commonly, intubation refers to tracheal intubation, a procedure during which an endotracheal tube is inserted into the trachea to supp ...

as a medical aid in gastric analysis. The eponymous "Ewald tube" is named after him,
Digestive endoscopy in the second millennium
' by Francisco Vilardell a device that serves as a gastric tube for emptying the contents of the

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the upper gastrointestinal tract of Human, humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The Ancient Greek name for the stomach is ''gaster'' which is used as ''gastric'' in medical t ...

. With Ismar Isidor Boas (1858–1938), he developed a standard "test meal" for gastric analysis. This involved a process in which various foods were given to a patient, and followed by analysis of gastric juices at scheduled intervals. Among his published works are "The Diseases of the Stomach" and "Lectures on Digestion", two books that have been translated into English. For many years he was editor of the ''Berlin klinische Wochenschrift''. He also served as

librarian A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...

to the Berlin Medical Society.

Works

* ''Handbuch der allgemeinen und speciellen Arzneiverordnungslehre : auf Grundlage des Arzneibuchs für das Deutsche Reich'' . Hirschwald, Berlin 12. Aufl. 189
Digital edition
by the

University and State Library Düsseldorf The University and State Library Düsseldorf (, abbreviated ULB Düsseldorf) is a central service institution of Heinrich Heine University. Along with Bonn and Münster, it is also one of the three State Libraries of North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

References

''Carl Anton Ewald''
@

Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...

1845 births 1915 deaths Burials at Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery Prussian physicians 19th-century German physicians German gastroenterologists Physicians from Berlin {{Germany-med-bio-stub