Rudolf Virchow

Virchow was a petite man and son of a farmer who grew to international fame and altered medicine forever. This historical fiction of Rudolf Virchow, M.D. 1821-1902, whose titles include, "Pope of Medicine," and "Father of Pathology," is based on real life letters he wrote to his parents. Written for nonprofessionals, the book captures the personality, wit and struggles of a man who could not be broken and would not quit in his fight for the poor and middle class. After graduating medical school, Virchow was sent to study an outbreak of typhus at Silesia. The deplorable conditions of the people changed his life. "Of what good is a doctor to overworked, starving patients with a disease spread by rats?" He blamed the citizens' plight on the government, the King in particular, and the church. This pivoting event lit a fire in young Virchow that burned until his death in 1902. His active protests earned him banishment from Berlin. After settling in Wurzburg, Virchow continued his obsessive work improving the lives of others. Virchow's research, discoveries and sometimes zany teaching methods earned him devoted fans among colleagues and students and, eventually, he achieved international fame. He was featured on the cover of Time Magazine. Today, hospitals bear his name as well as streets in Berlin. Virchow Archiv has continued for more than 150 years and annual scholarships bear his name. Virchow was not just a hero of his time. He is a hero of all time.