Johann Carl Kaiserling (3 February 1869 - 20 August 1942) was a German

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 ...

who was a native of Kassel-Wehlheiden. He studied medicine in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

and

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 ...

, earning his medical doctorate in 1893. In 1902, he became

privatdozent ''Privatdozent'' (for men) or ''Privatdozentin'' (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualifi ...

at the University of

, and from 1912 was a professor of general pathology and

pathological anatomy Anatomical pathology (''Commonwealth'') or anatomic pathology (''U.S.'') is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross examination, macroscopic, Histopathology, microscopic, biochemical, immu ...

at the

University of Königsberg The University of Königsberg () was the university of Königsberg in Duchy of Prussia, which was a fief of Poland. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant Reformation, Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke A ...

.''Kaiserling, Carl''. In: Christian Tilitzki: ''Die Albertus-Universität Königsberg.'' Band 1, Akademie Verlag, 2012, , doi:10.1524/9783050060903, S. 558f. His name is associated with "Kaiserling's fixative", a means of preserving histologic and pathologic specimens without changing the natural color. This fixative is an aqueous solution of

formalin Formaldehyde ( , ) (systematic name methanal) is an organic compound with the chemical formula and structure , more precisely . The compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde. It is stored as ...

potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with a sharp, salty, bitter taste and the chemical formula . It is a potassium salt of nitric acid. This salt consists of potassium cations and nitrate anions , and is therefore an alkali metal nit ...

and

potassium acetate Potassium acetate (also called potassium ethanoate), (CH3COOK) is the potassium salt of acetic acid. It is a hygroscopic solid at room temperature. Preparation It can be prepared by treating a potassium-containing base such as potassium hydroxide ...

. Kaiserling is also known for his pioneer work in the field of

photomicrography A micrograph is an image, captured photographically or digitally, taken through a microscope or similar device to show a magnified image of an object. This is opposed to a macrograph or photomacrograph, an image which is also taken on a mic ...

Selected publications

* ''Praktikum der wissenschaftlichen Photographie'', 1898. * ''Lehrbuch der Mikrophotographie nebst Bemerkungen über Vergrösserung und Projektion'', 1903. * ''Die mikrophotographischen Apparate und ihre Handhabung'', 1918.

References

Katalog der wissenschaftlichen Sammlungen der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
(biographical information)
Mondofacto Dictionary
(definition of eponym) German pathologists Academic staff of the University of Königsberg Physicians from Kassel 1869 births 1942 deaths {{Germany-med-bio-stub