Wilhelm Heinrich Erb
Wilhelm Heinrich Erb (1840-1921) was a German neurologist.
Erb was influential not only through his description of classic brachial plexus palsy involving the superior (or upper) roots, but also by his indelible contributions to our understanding of peripheral nerve physiology, deep tendon reflexes, and the muscular dystrophies.
In 1891 founded the journal Deutsche Zeitschrift für Nervenheilkunde with Friedrich Schultze, Adolf von Strümpell and Ludwig Lichtheim
Reflex testing became common after Erb and Westphal simultaneously discovered the value of muscle stretch reflexes in 1875
Biography
- Born November 30, 1840 in Winnweiler
- Honorary president of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Nervenärzte (Society of German Neurologists)
- Died October 29, 1921 Heidelberg
Medical Eponyms
Erb Palsy (Erb–Duchenne palsy)
Erb-Charcot paralysis
Erb-Westphal symptom
Erb scapulohumeral dystrophy
Erb phenomenon
Erb reflex (biceps femoris reflex)
Friedrich-Erb-Arnold syndrome [aka Uehlinger syndrome; Pachydermoperiostosis or primary hypertropic osteoarthropathy] Characterized by pachydermia (thickening of the facial skin and/or scalp); digital clubbing; and periostosis (swelling of periarticular tissue)
Controversies
Although the deep tendon reflexes were first introduced simultaneously into the medical literature by Erb (1875) and Westphal (1875), there is some evidence that the knee jerk response was well known to laymen prior to that time.
Major Publications
- Erb WH. Zur Lehre von der Tetanie, nebst Bemerkungen über die elektrische Erregbarkeit motorischer Nerven. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. 1874; 4: 271–316. [Erb phenomenon]
- Erb WH. Handbuch der Krankheiten des Nervensystems. 1874
- Erb WH. Ueber einen wenig bekannten spinalen Symptomencomplex. Berliner Klinische Wochenschrift 1875; 12(26): 357–359. [Erb–Charcot paralysis] [Erb reflex]
- Erb WH. Über Sehnenreflexe bei Gesunden und bei Rückenmarkskranken. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. 1875;5:792–802 [Erb–Westphal symptom]
- Erb WH. Handbuch der Krankheiten des Nervensystems II. 1876
- Erb WH. Zur Casuistick der bulbären Lähmungen. Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten. 1879; 9: 325–350. [Erb–Goldflam disease]
- Erb WH. Handbuch der Elektrotherapie. 3e. 1882. [Handbook of Electro-therapeutics]
- Erb WH. Über die “juvenile Form” der progressiven Muskelatrophie und ihre Beziehungen zur sogenannten Pseudohypertrophie der Muskeln. Deutsches Archiv für klinische Medizin 1884; 34: 467–519. [Erb scapulohumeral dystrophy]
References
Biography
- Sarikcioglu L, Arican RY. Wilhelm Heinrich Erb (1840–1921) and his contributions to neuroscience. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007; 78(7): 732
- Fresquet JL. Wilhelm Heinrich Erb (1840-1921). Historia de la Medicina.
Eponymous terms
- Louis ED. Weir Mitchell’s 1859 demonstration of “a peculiar contraction” produced by a percussion hammer. Neurology 2008;70:969-973
- Lanska DJ. [History of the reflex hammer] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 1998;10;118(30):4666-8
- Watt AJ, Niederbichler AD, Yang LJ, Chung KC. Wilhelm Heinrich Erb, M.D. (1840 to 1921): a historical perspective on Erb’s palsy. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2007; 119(7): 2161-6.
- Louis ED. Erb and Westphal: simultaneous discovery of the deep tendon reflexes. Semin Neurol. 2002; 22(4): 385-90.
- Tubbs RS, Loukas M, Salter EG, Oakes WJ. Wilhelm Erb and Erb’s point. Clin Anat. 2007; 20(5): 486-8.
eponym
the person behind the name
