Wilhelm His, Sr.

Who was Wilhelm His, Sr.?

Wilhelm His, Sr. was a Swiss anatomist and professor who invented the microtome. By treating animal flesh with acids and salts to harden it and then slicing it very thinly with the microtome, scientists were able to further research the organization and function of tissues and cells in a microscope.

His came from a patrician family and studied medicine in Basel, Berlin, Würzburg, Bern, Vienna and Paris. He received a doctorate in 1854, and in 1856 received the habilitation in Basel.

1857, at the age of 26, he became professor of anatomy and physiology at the University of Basel. In 1872 he took up a call from University of Leipzig to become professor there.

His introduced the word endothelium, distinguishing these internal membranes, which had formerly been grouped with epithelia, and developing an understanding of their relationship to the germ layers in development.

His made a most significant theoretical contribution when he specifically rejected all forms of soft inheritance. The passage runs [original in German]: "Until it has been refuted, I stand by the statement that characters can not be inherited that were acquired during the lifetime of the individual". The passage comes from his W. 1874. Unsere Körperform und das physiologische Problem ihrer Enstehung. Vogel, Leipzig. The historical significance is that it was not until 1883 that August Weismann made a similar declaration.