Cæsar Peter Møller Boeck (28 September 1845 – 17 March 1917) was a Norwegian
dermatologist
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medi ...
. He described
Boeck's sarcoidosis.
Life
Boeck was born in
Lier, Norway
Lier is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Buskerud Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lierbyen. The municipality of Lier was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannsk ...
. He was a nephew to dermatologist
Carl Wilhelm Boeck and
zoologist
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
Christian Peder Bianco Boeck.
In 1871, he graduated from the Christiania Medical School (in present-day
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
), and did post-graduate work in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
under
Ferdinand von Hebra. In 1889, he was appointed chief of dermatology at the
Rikshospitalet in
Kristiania
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022, an ...
, later becoming an associate professor in 1895.
A specialist in
histological
Histology,
also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissue (biology), tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at large ...
research, Boeck is remembered for describing a
granulomatous
A granuloma is an aggregation of macrophages (along with other cells) that forms in response to chronic inflammation. This occurs when the immune system attempts to isolate foreign substances that it is otherwise unable to eliminate. Such subst ...
disease that affects the
lymph node
A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that includ ...
s, as well as other parts of the body. In 1899, he provided a comprehensive description of skin changes along with general lymph node destruction that was associated with the disease. The condition was later named
Boeck's sarcoidosis, and is sometimes referred to as "Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease" (named in conjunction with
Ernest Henri Besnier and
Jörgen Nilsen Schaumann). Boeck published his findings of the disorder in an article titled "Multiple benign sarcoid of the skin".
Boeck was a fluent speaker of German, English and French, and travelled extensively throughout Europe during his career. He was an aficionado of art, and spent much of his free time in art museums. In 1917, he published a treatise on
Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...
called ''Rembrandt og Saskia i deres hjem'' (Rembrandt and Saskia in their home). In his will he donated his art collection to the
Drammen
Drammen () is a city and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such ...
city museum.
He was co-founder of the magazine ''Tidsskrift for praktisk Medicin'' (1881–1886).
References
''Cæsar Peter Møller Boeck''@
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 ...
Sarcoidosis NetworkingSarcoidosis and Naturopathic Care
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boeck, Caesar Peter Moeller
Norwegian dermatologists
1845 births
1917 deaths
People from Lier, Norway
Academic staff of the University of Oslo
Oslo University Hospital people