[Robert Ziegenspeck (1856-1918), 'Don Quixote' of out-patient gynaecology. Amendment to my essay about Thure Brandt in this Journal, Vol 26].

Abstract

In 2007 I described a massage method that was developed by the Swedish officer Thure Brandt (1819-1895) and promoted by German physicians, especially Robert Ziegenspeck. But all files about Ziegenspeck seemed to be lost until two of them were rediscovered by chance in 2009. They offer insight into the desperate situation of German gynaecological hospitals in the late 19th century and the consequences for the young reformer Ziegenspeck who wanted to protect women's health against his colleagues' arbitrariness.