[History of prosector's department at Charité of Berlin. 4. Benno Hernst Heinrich Reinhardt, Prosector of Charité, 1849 to 1852].

This communication has been devoted to BENNO ERNST HEINRICH REINHARDT'S brief period of office (1849-1852) as Prosector of Berlin's Charité Hospital. REINHARDT who was born in Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, studied medicine in Berlin and Halle. His predilection for microscopy dated back already to that period. Having returned to Berlin in 1844, he took his doctor's degree in that year. Also in 1844, he became assistant to the gynaecologist, CARL MAYER (1795-1858), and opened a medical practice of his own. In 1848, he joined a cholera hospital in Berlin. In that year, he qualified and obtained the (unsalaried) status of university lecturer. In 1849, he had a short-time assignment as a supplementary physician at the Berlin University Hospital in Ziegelstrasse before he succeeded RUDOLF VIRCHOW (1821-1902) as Prosector of the Charité Hospital on 1 October. REINHARDT'S second period of life in Berlin was characterized by a close friendship with RUDOLF VIRCHOW which lasted also over the years VIRCHOW spent in Würzburg, until REINHARDT'S early death. As a consequence of his short scientific life, he has left only a few printed publications which were more or less sketchy. Until our days, his name has been associated with "VIRCHOWS Archiv" which was founded jointly by him and VIRCHOW in 1847. REINHARDT had contracted tuberculosis in 1846. When he took office, his illness had already progressed so that his influence on the further development of the prosector's office had to remain a limited one. After a mere 2 1/2 years in office, he succumbed to his illness on 11 March 1852. After his death, RUDOLF LEUBUSCHER (1821-1861) collected his unpublished papers and those in preparation and published them still in that year, under the title "BENNO REINHARDT'S pathologisch-anatomische Untersuchungen".