December 31 – On This Day in Medical History

Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with December 31.

Events


Births

1668 – Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738), Dutch physician, chemist, botanist and Christian humanist; described Boerhaave syndrome (1724)


Deaths

1907 – Albert Hoffa (1859-1907), German orthopedic surgeon; described Hoffa fracture (1888); Hoffa’s syndrome (Hoffa fat pad impingement) (1904) and Hoffa System of therapeutic massage (1893)


Further reading

BA MA (Oxon) MBChB (Edin) FACEM FFSEM. Emergency physician, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Passion for rugby, medical history, medical education, and asynchronous learning #FOAMed evangelist. Editor-in-Chief and Webmaster of Life in the Fast lane, LITFL | On Call 4e| Eponyms | Books | Horology |