Purmann, Matthaeus Gottfried
Matthaeus Gottfried Purmann (* 28. März 1648 in Lüben, Silesia; † 27. Mai 1711 in Breslau, Bohemia; also know as Matthäus or Matthias Purrmann) was a Silesian surgeon and city physician in Breslau, active in the second half of the 17th century. He took part in numerous military campaigns in Pomerania, including during the sieges of Wolgast, Anklam, Demmin, Stettin, Greifswald, Stralsund, and the capture of the island of Rügen, where he gained a wealth of practical experience. As a city doctor in Breslau, he fought the plague epidemic and nearly died. He authored numerous books in German on the treatment of combat wounds and various injuries, leaving a significant written legacy and two remarkable contributions to medicine.
City view of Breslau in the times of Matthaeus Gottfried Purmann. Engraving by Matthäus Merian (1593-1650), published at the "Topographia Germaniae — Topographia Bohemiae Moraviae et Silesiae" (1650). Source: wikipedia
He is known for his detailed study of moxibustion, a therapeutic method of burning dried mugwort (moxa) on particular points on the body which he described in his 1692 work "Grosser und gantz neugewundener Laubeer-Krantz oder Wund-Artzney". His subsequent experience, documented in publications from 1699 and 1710, indicates that Purrmann had, by those years, accumulated the most extensive practical knowledge of this new therapy among all European physicians.
Moxibustion by Li Tang, Song dynasty. Source: wikipedia
Purmann is also noted for his role in the history of transfusion medicine. In 1668, he performed one of the first in Germany blood transfusion from a lamb to a human. This procedure took place one year after the world's first such transfusion by Jean-Baptiste Denis in France. However, after numerous unsuccessful attempts conducted between 1668 and 1692, he concluded that "transfusion surgery" had no place in military surgery. He did not publish the results of his animal-to-human blood transfusions.
Blood transfusion ("Chirurgia Transfusoria" — Transfusional Surgery). Engraving on the sheet between pages 968 and 969 from the "Grosser und gantz Neu-gewundener Lorbeer-Krantz, Oder Wund-Artzneÿ", edition 1722, publishing Leipzig, Franckfurth. Copy from the Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen
Printed works (chronologically sorted)
- Der rechte und wahrhafftige Feldscher, oder Die wahrhaffte Feldscherkunst. Halberstadt 1680, 1682; Frankfurt/Leipzig 1690, 1693, Jena 1705, 1721. (Full Text in PDF in Deutschen Textarchiv)
- Der aufrichtige und erfahrene Pestbarbirer. Halberstadt 1683; Frankfurt/Leipzig 1690, 1705; Liegnitz 1705, 1715, 1721; Breslau 1738.
- Matthaei Gottofredi Purmanni Chirurgischer Lorbeer-Krantz : oder Wund-Artzney ; in drey Theil und 86 Capittel abgetheilet ; darinnen alle und iede Wund-Aertzte aufs beste und vergnüglichste sehen können, was bey ieder Verwund- und Verletzung des gantzen menschlichen Leibes, auch Schäden, Fisteln, Geschwülste, Verrenckungen, Beinbrüche etc. müsse gebrauchet und angewendet werden. Hynitzsch, Halberstadt 1684 (Full Text in PDF: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf)
- Neu herausgegebener Chirurgischer Lorbeerkrantz, oder große Wund-Artzney. Halberstadt 1684, 1685; Frankfurt 1692, 1705; Breslau 1705, Liegnitz 1722.
- Anweisung pestilentialische Brüche zu kennen und zu curiren. Leipzig 1686.
- Fünfundzwanzig sonder- und wunderbare Schusswunden-Curen. Breslau 1687.
- Fünfzig sonder- und wunderbare Schußwundencuren. Frankfurt/Leipzig, 1693; Franckfurt/Leipzig/Liegnitz/Jena 1703; Liegnitz 1703; Frankfurt 1721. (Göttinger Digitalisierungszentrum)
- Grosser und gantz neugewundener Lorbeer-Krantz oder Wund-Artzney. Frankfurt/Leipzig 1692, 1704; Frankfurt/Leipzig 1722. (Full-Text of the 1722 edition from Göttinger Digitalisierungszentrum)
- Matthaei Gothofredi Purmanni Ausführlicher Unterricht und Anweisung, wie die Salivation-Cur nach allen Umbständen und Vortheilen auffs beste und sicherste vorzunehmen : damit der gebührende Nutzen und gewünschte Hilffe darauff folgen möge. Rohrlach, Franckfurt 1694.
- Chirurgia curiosa. Frankfurt/Leipzig 1699, 1716, 1739.
- Curiöse Chirurgische Observationes. Liegnitz 1710.
