Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with August 20.

Events

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Births

1846 – Carl Johann August Langenbuch (1846-1901), German surgeon; performed the first successful cholecystectomy at Lazarus Hospital in Berlin (1882)

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Deaths

1894 – William Cecil Dabney (1849-1894), American physician and obstetrician; described ‘Devil’s grip’ (Bornholm disease) in 1888

1915 – Paul Ehrlich (1854–1915), German physician-scientist. Pioneer of chemotherapy; fluorescein eye studies, immunology, and Salvarsan for syphilis.

1942 – Łucja Frey-Gottesman (1889-1942), Polish physician and neurologist; described Frey syndrome (1923)

1959 – Anthony Bassler (1874-1959), American gastroenterologist; described Bassler sign (1913)

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Further reading