Jan Mikulicz-Radecki :: Biography

IntroductionDespite the passage of over a hundred years from the death of Jan Mikulicz-Radecki, the student of Theodor Billroth (1829 1894), and the founder of the the Wroclaw trail of surgery, his name quite a great deal appeared in the first decade of the XXI century. It appeared in articles concerning the historical background of forward-looking European surgery 1-5 and in researches relating to the modern treatment of chronic diseases, which are now cured within the confines of internal medicine, ophthalmology and dermatology 6-12. What is more, a great importance of the achievements that Mikulicz made for the development of modern techniques in surgery of the gastrointestinal tract 13, 14 and the thyroid 15 is indicated. His contribution to the development of gastrointestinal endoscopic examination earned him a well-deserved title of the father of surgical endoscopy 16. His propagation called Mikulicz a king in the kingdom of Surgeons. He obtained excellent results in surgi cal treatment of patients using innovative, for that times, aseptic techniques 17, 18. The researchers of history of medicine are frequently lacking the fact of Mikiliczs interdisciplinary attitude towards diagnosis and the treatment of patients. The impact on the shaping of this attitude had both his professional training, which took place in Vienna under the tutelage of Billroth 19, 20, and his broad interests that extend far beyond the field of surgery, and even beyond medicine. A fact that should be emphasized is the arrangement by Mikulicz and Bernhard Naunyn (1839-1925) 21, 23 of an interdisciplinary journal Mitteilungenaus den Grenzgebieten der Medizinund Chirurgie, which integrated surgery and internal medicine. Owing to Mikuliczs broad research interests, his name is frequently mentioned in popular clinical practice not only among contemporary surgeons but also by dermatologists. Mikulicz explained the pathogenesis of the rhinoscleroma and set forth the cells characteris tic of this disease, which were later named after him 24, 25. He also described a disease of the salivary and lacrimal glands of a noninflammatory character, which until now exists in the international medical nomenclature as Mikulicz disease 6, 11 not to be confused with the Sjgrens syndrome 26. He has also developed an innovative method for treating difficult to heal wounds and ulcers of the skin using preparations containing iodine and maci lapisow with Peruvian balm 25. This ointment (also called Mikulicz ointment) to this day is used in surgical practice and dermatology.Family and EducationJan Mikulicz-Radecki was born on May 16, 1850 in Czerniowce in Bukowina.