Friedrich Goltz

Friedrich Leopold Goltz (born 14 August 1834 in Poznań; died 5 May 1902 in Strasbourg) was a German physiologist and nephew of the writer Bogumil Goltz. He held various university positions in Königsberg, Halle and Strasbourg, Germany. Goltz was known for his experiments in neurophysiology, and was the first person to perform a hemispherectomy on a dog. In 1870 Goltz introduced the "hydrostatic concept" concerning the semicircular canals of the inner ear, and their ability to transmit sensations of position, and therefore assist in the sense of equilibrioception.

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Goltz held a unitary view of brain function, which he demonstrated in London at the International Medical Congress of 1881. Here he showed that a dog with sections of its cerebral cortex amputated, could still remain functional. Conversely, Scottish neurologist David Ferrier held the belief of localization of cerebral functions, which he demonstrated at the same conference. Ferrier presented macaque monkeys with particular paralysis following specific surgeries of the motor cortex. Ferrier's demonstration of localized functionality impressed the medical community, and was seen as a major impetus in the development of neurological surgery.

Published Works

• Nervenzentren des Frosches, 1869
• Gesammelte Abhandlungen über die Verrichtungen des Großhirns, 1881