Karl Gottfried Konstantin Dehio (27 May 1851,

Reval Tallinn is the capital and most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and administratively lies in the Harju ''maakond'' (co ...

– 26 February 1927) was a

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

internist 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 th ...

and professor of

pathology 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 ...

. In 1877 he earned his doctorate from the

University of Dorpat The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

, and following graduation continued his studies at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

. From 1879 to 1883 he was a physician at the Prince of Oldenburg Children's Hospital in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, returning to Dorpat in 1884 as a lecturer at the university. In 1886, he became a professor of pathology, being chosen university rector in 1918. From 1890 to 1914 Dehio was editor of ''St. Petersburger Medizinischen Wochenschrift'' for Dorpat. He was the president of the Naturalists' Society at the University of Dorpat in 1899–1901, and for a period of time was vice-president of the society to combat

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

. An

atropine Atropine is a tropane alkaloid and anticholinergic medication used to treat certain types of nerve agent and pesticide poisonings as well as some types of slow heart rate, and to decrease saliva production during surgery. It is typically give ...

test known as "Dehio's test" is attributed to him, which states: "If an injection of atropine relieves

bradycardia Bradycardia, also called bradyarrhythmia, is a resting heart rate under 60 beats per minute (BPM). While bradycardia can result from various pathological processes, it is commonly a physiological response to cardiovascular conditioning or due ...

, the condition is due to action of the

vagus The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fiber ...

; if it does not, the condition may be due to an affection of the heart itself". One of Dehio's daughters was the writer

Else Hueck-Dehio Else Hueck-Dehio (1897–1976) was a German author from the Baltic region of the Russian Empire who wrote stories about Estonia. Life Dehio was born on 30 December 1897Entry in thbaptismal register of Dorpat University in Dorpat, Livonia in t ...

Published works

* ''Beiträge zur pathologischen Anatomie der Lepra'', (Contributions to the pathological anatomy of

), (1877) * ''Experimentelle Studien über das bronchiale Athmungsgeräusch und die auscultatorischen Cavernensymptome'', 1885. * ''In der Dorpater Poliklinik gebräuchliche Recepte und Verordnungen'', (Common prescriptions and regulations at the Dorpat Polyclinic), (1885) * ''Die Infectionskrankheiten und ihre Heilung'' (

Infectious diseases infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

and their cure), (1892) * ''Die Lepra einst und jetzt'', (Leprosy then and now), (1895) * ''Pocken, Rückfallsfieber, Flecktyphus und Malaria'' (

Smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

relapsing fever Relapsing fever is a vector-borne disease caused by infection with certain bacteria in the genus '' Borrelia'', which is transmitted through the bites of lice, soft-bodied ticks (genus '' Ornithodoros''), or hard-bodied ticks (Genus Ixodes). ...

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

and

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

), (1899) * ''Vitalismus und Mechanismus'' (Vitalism and mechanism), (1926)

References

* ''Biographical information is based on a translation of an article at the German Wikipedia.''
Mondofacto Dictionary
(definition of eponym) {{DEFAULTSORT:Dehio, Karl Gottfried Konstantin 1851 births 1927 deaths Scientists from Tallinn People from Kreis Harrien Baltic-German people from the Russian Empire Pathologists from the Russian Empire University of Tartu alumni Rectors of the University of Tartu Burials at Raadi cemetery

See also

Published works

References