Hermann Welcker

Hermann Welcker (April 8, 1822 - September 12, 1897) was a German anatomist who was born in Giessen. In 1851 he earned his doctorate from the University of Giessen. In 1859 he became a professor and prosector at the University of Halle. In 1876 he succeeded Alfred Wilhelm Volkmann (1801-1877) as director of the anatomical institute at Halle.

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Along with his anatomical duties, Welcker was also a specialist in the fields of anthropology, ethnology, microscopy and biology. He published numerous articles on each of these subjects. In 1854 he devised a method for measuring blood volume in humans and animals. He also devised a method for measuring red blood cell volume. The eponymous Welcker's angle is named after him, which is the anterior, inferior angle of the parietal bone.

In 1889 Welcker received a patent for the invention of "galvanic spectacles", which were essentially battery-operated eyeglasses with nosepiece electrodes. These glasses were used as a remedy for nasal congestion. Also Welcker performed many studies of human skulls, including the famous skulls of Dante Alighieri and Friedrich Schiller.