EWM

Persons

Physicians, philosophers, and scientists who shaped Western medicine.

254 entries

Aaron Antonovsky

salutogenesishealth-promotionmedical-sociologymedical-sociologist+2

Abraham Flexner

progressive-educationgerman-university-modeleducation-reformer

Abraham Maslow

humanistic-psychologyThird-Force-psychologypsychologisthumanistic-psychologist

Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Rāzī

c. 854–925 CE

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinephysicianalchemist+2

Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi

c. 801–873 CE

islamic-philosophyislamic-medicinearabic-sciencephilosopher+4

Abu Zayd al-Balkhi

islamic-medicinephysicianpsychologistgeographer+1

Al-Farabi

islamic-philosophyaristotelian-traditionneoplatonic-traditionphilosopher+3

Al-Ghazali

islamic-philosophysunni-theologysufism

Al-Majusi (Ali ibn al-Abbas)

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinephysicianmedical encyclopaedist

Al-Mamun

islamic-medicinegreek-arabic-transmissioncaliphpatron of translation+1

Al-Zahrawi (Abu al-Qasim)

c. 936 – c. 1013

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinephysiciansurgeon

Albert Isaiah Coffin

thomsonian-medicineenglish-botanic-medicinebotanical-practitionermedical-popularizer

Albert Sabin

western-medicinepublic-healthvirologistimmunologist+1

Albrecht von Haller

experimental-physiologyenlightenment-medicinemechanical-philosophyphysiologist+5

Alcmaeon of Croton

fl. c. 500–450 BC

pre-socratic-medicinerational-medicinephysiciannatural philosopher

Alexander of Tralles

c. 525 – c. 605 CE

galenic-medicinehippocratic-medicinebyzantine-medicinephysician+2

Alexander Wilder

eclectic-medicinephysicianprofessor-of-pathologymedical-historian+1

Alfred Adler

psychoanalysisindividual-psychologyphysicianpsychotherapist+1

Alva Curtis

physio-medical-movementthomsonian-medicinebotanical-medicinephysician+3

Ambroise Pare

renaissance-medicinegalenic-medicinesurgeonauthor+1

Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy

enslaved in Alabama, c. 1820s–1840s

american-gynecologyenslaved-patientsurgical-nursemidwife

Andreas Vesalius

renaissance-medicineanatomistphysicianprofessor

Andrew Taylor Still

osteopathyphysicianfounder

Anna Freud

psychoanalysisego-psychologychild-psychoanalysispsychoanalyst+3

Antoine Lavoisier

chemical-revolutionpneumatic-chemistrychemistphysiologist+1

Anton de Haen

clinical-teachingvis-medicatrix-naturaephysicianclinical teacher

Antony van Leeuwenhoek

microscopisttradesmannatural philosopher

Aretaeus of Cappadocia

fl. c. 150–200 CE

pneumatisthippocraticeclecticphysician+1

Aristotle

peripateticnatural-philosophyaristotelianphilosopher+3

Arthur Kleinman

medical-anthropologynarrative-medicinebiopsychosocial-medicinepsychiatrist+2

Asclepiades of Bithynia

c. 124–c. 40 BCE

corpuscular-medicineatomist-medicineroman-medicinephysician+1

Asclepius

mythological; cult active c. 500 BCE onward

asclepius-cultasclepian-healingasclepiad-familiesdeity+2

Aulus Cornelius Celsus

c. 25 BCE – c. 50 CE

roman-medicinehellenistic-transmissionencyclopaedistmedical-writer

Averroes (Ibn Rushd)

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinearistotelian-natural-philosophyphilosopher+2

Avicenna (Ibn Sina)

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinearistotelian-natural-philosophyphysician+2

Bénédict-Auguste Morel

French-asylum-psychiatrydegeneracy-theorypsychiatristasylum physician+1

Benjamin Rush

edinburgh-schoolheroic-medicinephysicianeducator+2

Carl Gustav Jung

psychoanalysisanalytical-psychologypsychiatristpsychoanalyst+1

Carl Linnaeus

linnaean-taxonomyeighteenth-century-nosologynatural-historynaturalist+3

Carl Rogers

humanistic-psychologyperson-centered-therapyThird-Force-psychologypsychologist+1

Carl Wernicke

german-neuropsychiatryfirst-biological-psychiatrybreslau-schoolneurologist+2

Charaka

redactor active c. 1st century BCE - 2nd century CE; underlying Atreya school several centuries earlier

ayurvedicsramanicphysicianredactor+1

Charles Darwin

evolutionary-biologynatural-historynaturalistbiologist+1

Chrysippus of Soli

c. 279–c. 206 BCE

stoicismphilosopherlogicianethicist

Claude Bernard

experimental-medicinephysiologist

Clifford Geertz

interpretive-anthropologysymbolic-anthropologymedical-anthropologyanthropologist+1

Constantine Africanus

arabic-latin-translationsalernitan-medicinetranslatormonk+1

Constantine the African

salernitan-medicinearabic-latin-translationlatin-galenismphysician+2

Daniel David Palmer

chiropracticmagnetic-healingmagnetic healerfounder

David Hume

empiricismskepticismmoral-sentiment-theoryphilosopher+2

David Thomasma

virtue-ethicsthomismaristotelianismphilosopher+2

Deirdre Cooper Owens

history-of-medicinehistorian-of-medicinehistorian-of-slavery

Democritus

c. 460–370 BCE

atomismpresocratic-philosophyphilosophernatural philosopher

Diocles of Carystus

fl. c. 375-295 BCE

dogmatistphysicianwriter

Diogenes of Apollonia

fl. c. 440–430 BCE

pre-socratic-philosophypneumatic-medicinenatural-philosopher

Dominik Wujastyk

history-of-medicineindologysanskrit-philologyindologist+2

Donald Winnicott

psychoanalysisobject-relations-theorybritish-independent-grouppaediatrician+2

Edmund Husserl

phenomenologyphilosophermathematicianlogician

Edmund Pellegrino

virtue-ethicsthomismaristotelianismphysician+2

Edward Jenner

vaccinationphysiciannaturalist

Edward O. Wilson

evolutionary-biologysociobiologyconservation-biologymyrmecology+5

Edward Tylor

cultural-anthropologycomparative-religionevolutionary-anthropologyanthropologist+1

Edwin Chadwick

public-healthutilitarianismsanitary reformercivil servant+1

Elizabeth Blackwell

orthodox-medicine-19th-centuryphysicianmedical educatorpublic health advocate+1

Emanuel Swedenborg

vitalismnatural-philosophySwedenborgianismscientist+3

Emil Kraepelin

biological-psychiatryclinical-psychiatrypsychiatristnosologist+1

Emile Durkheim

sociologyanthropologysociologistprofessor

Émile Littré

paris-school-of-medicinepositivismhippocratismphysician+4

Emile Roux

laboratory-medicinegerm-theorypastorian-traditionbacteriologist+2

Empedocles

presocratic-philosophyfour-element-theoryphilosopherphysician+2

Erasistratus

c. 315 – c. 240 BCE

alexandrian-medicinerationalist-medicinephysiciananatomist+1

Eric J. Cassell

philosophy-of-medicineclinical-medicinephysicianphilosopher of medicine+1

Erich Fromm

frankfurt-schoolhumanistic-psychologyneo-freudian-psychologypsychologist+2

Erik Erikson

ego-psychologypsychoanalysisdevelopmental-psychologistpsychoanalyst+1

Ernest Jones

psychoanalysisneurologistpsychoanalystbiographer+1

Erving Goffman

sociology-of-medicinesymbolic-interactionismsociologist

Eugen Bleuler

swiss-psychiatryacademic-psychiatrykraepelinian-psychiatrypsychiatrist+2

Evagrius of Pontus

c. 345 - 399 CE

desert-monasticismchristian-asceticismeastern-orthodoxydesert-father+3

Florence Nightingale

nursehospital reformerstatisticianpublic health campaigner

Francis Bacon

baconian-empiricismearly-modern-sciencephilosopherstatesman+1

Francis Crick

molecular-biologytwentieth-century-geneticsmolecular-biologistbiophysicist+1

Francis Glisson

vitalismcambridge-university-traditionaristotelian-philosophyphysician+2

François Magendie

experimental-physiologyfrench-medicinephysiologistphysician+2

François-Joseph-Victor Broussais

physiological-medicinefrench-clinical-schoolphysicianmilitary surgeon+1

Franz Alexander

psychoanalysispsychosomatic-medicinepsychoanalystphysician

Franz Boas

medical-anthropologycultural-anthropologyanthropologistprofessor

Frederick Fletcher Hyde

english-herbal-medicinetwentieth-century-british-herbalismphytotherapymedical-herbalist+2

Friedrich Nietzsche

existentialismphenomenologyanti-foundationalismlebensphilosophie+2

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling

german-idealismnaturphilosophieromantic-biologyphilosopher+1

Galen of Pergamon

c. 129 - c. 216 CE

hippocratismrationalismeclecticismphysician+4

Galileo Galilei

mechanical-philosophyexperimental-sciencenatural-philosopherastronomer+1

Georg Ernst Stahl

animismvitalismiatrochemistryphysician+2

Georg Groddeck

psychoanalysispsychosomatic-medicinephysicianpsychoanalyst+1

George Cheyne

mechanical philosophyregimen / dieteticsphysicianiatromechanist+1

George Devereux

ethnopsychiatrypsychoanalysisanthropologyanthropologist+2

George Miller Beard

neurologistphysician

Georges Canguilhem

vitalismfrench-philosophy-of-scienceepistemologyphilosopher+2

Gerard of Cremona

arabic-to-latin-translationtranslator

Gerhard van Swieten

clinical-teachingenlightenment-medicinephysicianmedical reformer+1

Giorgio Baglivi

iatromechanismclinical-observationphysiciananatomist

Giovanni Battista Morgagni

anatomical-pathologyhospital-medicineanatomistphysician

Girolamo Fracastoro

renaissance-medicinecontagion-theoryphysicianpoet+1

Guy de Chauliac

galenic-medicineuniversity-surgerysurgeonphysician to popes

Hans Driesch

neovitalismexperimental-embryologyphilosophy-of-biologybiologist+2

Hans Selye

experimental-physiologypsychosomatic-medicineendocrinologistphysiologist+1

Harry Guntrip

object-relations-theorybritish-school-of-psychoanalysispsychoanalystpsychologist+2

Harry Stack Sullivan

interpersonal psychiatryneo-Freudianpsychiatristpsychoanalyst

Heinz Kohut

psychoanalysisself-psychologypsychoanalysttheorist

Henri Bergson

vitalismphilosophy-of-biologyphilosopher

Henri Bortoft

goethean-sciencephenomenology-of-natureholismphysicist+1

Henry E. Sigerist

social-history-of-medicinebiographical-history-of-medicinemedical-historiansocial-medicine-advocate+1

Henry Lindlahr

naturopathynature-curehydropathyphysician+2

Herbert Marcuse

critical-theorypsychoanalysisphilosophyphilosopher+2

Herbert Spencer

social-darwinismevolutionary-philosophylamarckismpositivism+4

Herman Boerhaave

leiden-clinical-schooliatrochemistryiatromechanismhippocratic-revival+4

Herodotus

Herophilus

c. 335–280 BCE

alexandrian-medicinedogmatist-sectphysiciananatomist

Hilda Leyel

english-herbal-medicinetwentieth-century-british-herbalismherbalistherbal-publisher+3

Hildegard of Bingen

monastic-medicinemedieval-medicinebenedictine-monasticismabbess+5

Hippocrates of Cos

c. 460 - c. 370 BCE

hippocratismphysicianteacher

Homer

c. 8th century BCE (traditional)

Hunayn ibn Ishaq

c. 808–873 CE

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinesyriac-medicinephysician+2

Ibn al-Nafis

islamic-medicinegreco-arab-medicinephysiciananatomist+2

Ibn Arabi

islamic-philosophyislamic-mysticismsufism

Ibn at-Tilmidh

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinephysicianpharmacologist+2

Ibn Ridwan

c. 998–c. 1061

galenic-medicineislamic-medicinephysicianGalenist+2

Ignaz Semmelweis

hospital-medicinecontagionismphysicianobstetrician

Imhotep

fl. c. 2650 BCE

ancient-egyptian-medicinephysicianarchitectvizier+1

Immanuel Kant

critical-philosophydeontologyphilosopher

Isaac Newton

mechanical-philosophycorpuscular-philosophynatural philosophermathematician+1

Ivan Illich

critical-theoryphilosophy-of-technologycatholic-radicalismphilosopher+3

J. Marion Sims

american-gynecologysurgeongynecologist

James Tyler Kent

homeopathyclassical-homeopathyswedenborgianismphysician+3

James Watson

molecular-biologytwentieth-century-geneticsmolecular-biologistgeneticist+1

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

vitalismtransformismnatural-historynaturalist+3

Jean-Martin Charcot

clinical-neurologyFrench-clinical-schoolneurologistphysician+1

Jean-Paul Sartre

existentialismphenomenologyexistential-psychiatryphilosopher+2

Jeremy Narby

medical-anthropologyethnobotanyanthropologistauthor

Joan Baptista van Helmont

iatrochemistryvitalismnatural-philosophyphysician+2

Johann Christian Reil

naturphilosophieromantic-medicinephysiciananatomist+3

Johann Peter Frank

enlightenment-medicinesocial-medicinephysicianpublic health pioneer+1

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

goethean-scienceromantic-natural-philosophyvitalismpoet+3

John Brown

brunonianismrationalist-medicinephysicianmedical theorist

John Caius

galenic-medicinerenaissance-humanismphysiciananatomist+2

John Hughlings Jackson

hospital-medicineevolutionary-neurologyneurologistphysician

John Hunter

surgical-medicinecomparative-anatomysurgeonanatomist+1

John King

eclectic-medicinebotanical-medicinephysicianpharmacologist+3

John Locke

empiricismmechanical-philosophyphilosopherphysician

John Milton Scudder

eclecticismbotanical-medicinephysicianprofessor+2

John Simon

public-healthstate-medicinephysicianpublic health administrator+1

John Skelton

british-herbal-medicineeclectic-medicinethomsonian-medicineherbalist+3

John Snow

epidemiologypreventive-medicinephysicianepidemiologist+1

John Uri Lloyd

eclectic-medicineeclectic-pharmacypharmacistpharmaceutical manufacturer+4

John V. Pickstone

b. 1944 (est.) – d. 2014

history-of-sciencehistory-of-medicinescience-studieshistorian+1

Jonas Salk

western-medicinepublic-healthvirologistimmunologist+1

Josef Breuer

physicianphysiologist

Joseph Lister

antiseptic-surgerygerm-theorysurgeonmicroscopist

Joseph Rodes Buchanan

eclectic-medicinephysicianmedical-educatorspeculative-theorist

Justin Garson

philosophy-of-biologyphilosophy-of-psychiatryphilosopherphilosopher-of-biology+2

Karen Horney

neo-freudiancultural-psychoanalysispsychoanalystpsychiatrist+1

Karl Abraham

psychoanalysisberlin-schoolpsychoanalystinstitutional organizer+1

Karl Friedrich Kielmeyer

naturphilosophieromantic-medicinenaturalistphysiologist+2

Kenneth Zysk

history-of-medicineindologyhistory-of-religionsindologist+2

Kōshō Uchiyama

zen-buddhismsoto-zenzen-teacherauthor+1

Kurt Goldstein

holistic-biologygestalt-psychologyphenomenological-medicineneurologist+2

Leopold Auenbrugger

anatomical-diagnosisvienna-medical-schoolphysician

Lewis Mumford

philosophy-of-technologysocial-criticismhistoriansocial critic+1

Louis Pasteur

germ-theoryvaccinationbacteriologychemist+2

Ludwig Edelstein

classical philologisthistorian of medicine

Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon)

islamic-medicinegalenic-medicinearistotelian-natural-philosophyjewish-medicine+4

Malidoma Patrice Somé

dagarawest-african-medicineafrican-traditional-religionDagara elder+3

Marcello Malpighi

microscopyanatomical-investigationphysiciananatomist+1

Marcus Aurelius

stoicismemperorphilosopher

Marie Curie

western-sciencephysicistchemistNobel laureate+1

Marsilio Ficino

neoplatonismhumoral-medicinephilosopherphysician+2

Martin Heidegger

phenomenologyhermeneuticsexistentialismphilosopher+1

Mary Douglas

Maud Grieve

english-herbal-medicinetwentieth-century-british-herbalismherbalistherb-grower+2

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

phenomenologyexistentialismphilosopher

Melanie Klein

psychoanalysisobject-relations-theorykleinian-psychoanalysispsychoanalyst+2

Michael Harner

core-shamanismjivaro-shamanismconibo-shamanismanthropologist+3

Michel Foucault

french-philosophy-of-medicinepoststructuralismphilosopherhistorian+1

Mondino de Luzzi

university-medicinegalenic-medicineanatomistphysician+1

Mulla Sadra

islamic-philosophyilluminationismislamic-mysticismshii-theology

Nicholas Culpeper

helmontian-medicineenglish-herbalismastrological-medicineherbalist+3

Norbert Elias

sociologyfigurational-sociologymedical-anthropologysociologist+1

Oliver Sacks

clinical-narrative-medicinephenomenological-clinical-medicineneurologistclinical-narrative-author+1

Oliver Wendell Holmes

therapeutic-skepticismclinical-observationphysicianessayist+2

Oribasius of Pergamon

c. 320 - c. 400 CE

galenismlate-antique-medicinephysicianencyclopaedist+1

Otto Rank

psychoanalysispsychoanalysttheoristwriter

Owsei Temkin

history of medicinehumanism in medicinehistorian of medicinemedical philosopher+1

Pablo F. Gómez

history-of-medicinehistorian-of-medicinehistorian-of-scienceatlantic-historian

Paracelsus

iatrochemistryhermetic-medicineanti-galenismphysician+2

Paul Ehrlich

laboratory medicineexperimental pharmacologygerman-medicinephysician+2

Paul of Aegina

c. 625 – c. 690 CE

galenic-medicinehippocratic-medicinebyzantine-medicinephysician+2

Pedanius Dioscorides

roman-medicinegreek-medicinephysicianpharmacologist+1

Philippe Pinel

moral treatmentclinical nosologyFrench clinical schoolphysician+3

Pietro Andrea Mattioli

renaissance-herbalismgalenic-medicinephysicianbotanist+1

Plato

platonismnatural-philosophyphilosopher

Pliny the Elder

23/24 CE – 79 CE

roman-medicineroman-natural-historyencyclopaedistnatural-historian+2

Praxagoras

fl. c. 340-320 BCE

hippocratic-medicinedogmatistphysician

Pythagoras of Samos

c. 570–495 BCE

pre-socratic-philosophypythagoreanismgreek-medicinephilosopher+3

R. D. Laing

existential-psychiatryphenomenologyanti-psychiatrypsychiatrist+2

René Descartes

mechanical-philosophycartesian-medicinedutch-medicinephilosopher+3

René Laennec

paris-clinical-schoolpathological-anatomyphysicianpathologist+1

Rhazes

islamic-medicinegalenismphysicianphilosopher+1

Robert Boyle

corpuscular-philosophyexperimental-philosophynatural-theologynatural philosopher+2

Robert Burton

scholarclergymanwriter

Robert Koch

germ-theorybacteriologyphysicianmicrobiologist+1

Robert Whitaker

investigative-journalismmedical-historyjournalistauthor+1

Rosalind Franklin

x-ray-crystallographystructural-biologytwentieth-century-geneticsphysical-chemist+2

Rudolf Virchow

cellular pathologysocial medicinelaboratory medicinepathologist+3

Rufus of Ephesus

c. 50 – c. 120 CE

hippocratic-medicinehumoral-medicinephysiciananatomist+1

Samuel Hahnemann

homeopathyempiricismphysicianpharmacologist+1

Samuel Thomson

thomsonian-medicinebotanical-medicineherbalistmedical-reformer+1

Sándor Ferenczi

psychoanalysispsychoanalystphysiciantheorist

Santorio Santorio

iatrophysicsquantitative-medicinephysicianphysiologist

Scribonius Largus

fl. c. 40–50 CE

hippocratic-medicineroman-medicinephysicianpharmacologist

Sharla M. Fett

history-of-medicinehistorian-of-medicinehistorian-of-slavery

Sigmund Freud

psychoanalysisneurologyneurologistpsychiatrist+1

Silas Weir Mitchell

neurologistphysiciannovelistpoet

Socrates

greek-philosophyphilosopher

Soranus of Ephesus

fl. c. 98--138 AD

methodismroman-medicinephysiciangynecologist+2

Suhrawardi

islamic-philosophyislamic-mysticismilluminationism

Susruta

redactor active before c. 500 CE; underlying surgical tradition some centuries BCE

ayurvedicsramanicsurgeonredactor+1

Ted J. Kaptchuk

chinese-medicineplacebo-studiesscholarprofessor+1

Theophrastus

peripatetic-philosophyaristotelianphilosopherbotanist+2

Thessalus of Tralles

fl. c. 50–70 CE (Rome, under Nero)

methodist-medicineroman-medicinephysiciansect-founder

Thomas Aquinas

scholasticismaristotelian-philosophydominican-ordertheologian+2

Thomas Kuhn

philosophy-of-sciencehistory-of-sciencephilosopher-of-sciencehistorian-of-science

Thomas Percival

british-medicinescottish-enlightenmentdissenting-unitarianismphysician+2

Thomas Sydenham

hippocratismneo-hippocratismbedside-medicinephysician

Thomas Szasz

psychoanalysisanti-psychiatrylibertarian-philosophypsychiatrist+3

Thomas Willis

iatrochemistryneuroanatomyphysiciananatomist+1

Thucydides

Viktor Frankl

existential-psychiatrylogotherapythird-viennese-schoolpsychiatrist+2

W. H. R. Rivers

medical-anthropologyexperimental-psychologymilitary-psychiatryphysician+3

W. R. D. Fairbairn

psychoanalysisbritish-object-relationspsychoanalystphilosopher

Walter Bradford Cannon

experimental-physiologyphysiologist

Wendell Berry

agrarianismkentucky-agrarian-traditionfarmeressayist+3

Wilfred Bion

psychoanalysisobject-relations-theoryBritish-group-analysispsychoanalyst+2

Wilhelm Griesinger

biological-psychiatryGerman-university-psychiatrypsychiatristphysician+1

Wilhelm Reich

psychoanalysischaracter-analysissex-polorgone-theory+4

William Cullen

edinburgh-schoolsolidismphysicianeducator+2

William Farr

statistical-medicineepidemiologysanitary-reformepidemiologist+2

William H. Cook

physio-medical-movementphysicianmedical-educatorauthor

William Harvey

aristotelian-natural-philosophyexperimental-medicinephysiciananatomist+1

William Heberden

enlightenment-medicineclinical-medicinephysicianclinical-observer+1

William Henry Welch

german-university-medicineamerican-academic-medicinepathologistbacteriologist+3

William James

pragmatismfunctionalismradical-empiricismphilosopher+3

William Osler

clinical-medicinebedside-teachingphysicianeducator+1

William Withering

enlightenment-medicinephysicianbotanistsocial reformer

Wooster Beach

eclectic-medicinebotanical-medicinereformed-medicinephysician+2

Xavier Bichat

vitalismpathological anatomytissue theoryFrench clinical school+3