[Thomas Schwencke and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart].

Thomas Schwencke (1694-1767) was Professor of Anatomy and Surgery and Lecturer in Obstetrics at the Surgical School in The Hague, the Netherlands. In 1743 he published the very first textbook on haematology. Furthermore, he described his observations on the variolation of smallpox, and published the design of a new obstetric instrument. Schwencke was physician of the city of The Hague and also physician at the court of the princes van Nassau-Weilburg. In 1765 Princess Caroline of Nassau-Weilburg invited the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to perform concerts. During his Dutch tour the young Mozart fell seriously ill, probably from typhoid fever. At the request of the court Mozart was seen for a second opinion and thereafter successfully treated by Schwencke. Mozart could continue his concert tour and Schwencke's reputation as Mozart's physician was established.