Josef von Halban (10 October 1870 – 23 April 1937) was an Austrian

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

and

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

. He was the husband of opera singer

Selma Kurz Selma Kurz (15 October 1874 – 10 May 1933) was an Austrian coloratura soprano known for her brilliant coloratura technique. Early life Selma Kurz was born in Bielsko-Biała to a very humble Jewish family of eleven children. She grew up in Bi ...

(1874–1933). Born to a Jewish family, originally surnamed Blumenstock, in 1894, he obtained his medical doctorate at Vienna, where from 1898 to 1903, he worked as an assistant under Friedrich Schauta. In 1903 he became

privat-docent ''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 ...

for OB/GYN, becoming an associate professor in 1909. From 1910 to 1937, he was director of gynecology at the in Vienna. Halban is known for his pioneer research involving inner secretions of the

ovaries The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are endocr ...

. He also provided an early description on the

endocrine The endocrine system is a messenger system in an organism comprising feedback loops of hormones that are released by internal glands directly into the circulatory system and that target and regulate distant organs. In vertebrates, the hypotha ...

function of the

placenta The placenta (: placentas or placentae) is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas, and waste exchange between ...

. His name is associated with the following two medical terms: * Halban's disease: persistent cystic

corpus luteum The corpus luteum (Latin for "yellow body"; : corpora lutea) is a temporary endocrine structure in female ovaries involved in the production of relatively high levels of progesterone, and moderate levels of estradiol, and inhibin A. It is the ...

. * Halban's pregnancy sign: indicator concerning increased hair-growth of pregnant women.Victor C. Medvei
"The history of clinical endocrinology"
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Selected writings

* ''Topographie des weiblichen Ureters'' (with

Julius Tandler Julius Tandler (February 16, 1869 – August 25, 1936) was an Austrian physician and Social Democratic politician, whose research secured him a lasting place in the history of anatomy. His main claim to fame was his ambition to introduce a compr ...

), 1901 – Topography of female

ureter The ureters are tubes composed of smooth muscle that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In an adult human, the ureters typically measure 20 to 30 centimeters in length and about 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. They are lin ...

s. * ''Anatomie und Ätiologie der Genitalprolapse beim Weibe'', 1907 –

Anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

and etiology of

female genital prolapse Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is characterized by descent of pelvic organs from their normal positions into the vagina. In women, the condition usually occurs when the pelvic floor collapses after gynecological cancer treatment, childbirth or hea ...

. * ''Die pathologische Anatomie des Puerperalprozesses und ihre Beziehungen zur Klinik und Therapie'' – 1919

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 ...

involving

puerperal The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the ...

processes, etc. * ''Gynäkologische operationslehre'', 1932 – Gynecological surgery lessons. * ''Biologie und Pathologie des Weibes ein Handbuch der Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe'' (part of the series, ''Historische Quellen zur Frauenbewegung und Geschlechterproblematik'').

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Halban, Josef von 1870 births 1937 deaths Physicians from Vienna Austrian Jews Austrian people of Jewish descent Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism Austrian gynaecologists Austrian obstetricians Physicians from Austria-Hungary

Selected writings

References

Further reading

External links