Heinrich Auspitz

Carl Heinrich Auspitz (2 September 1835 in Nikolsburg, Moravia – 22 May 1886 in Vienna) was a Jewish^[1] Austrian dermatologist. He was the husband of pianist Auguste Auspitz-Kólar (1843–1878).^[2]

He was a member of the famous Moravian-Austrian Auspitz Family [de]. Heinrich was a son of Jewish surgeon Moritz [de] (1803, Nikolsburg – 1880). His younger brother Leopold [de] (1838, Nikolsburg – 1907) was an Imperial & Royal Generalmajor and writer. In 1840, Moritz was given a job at a Jewish hospital in Vienna, and allowed better education to his sons.

Trained at the University of Vienna, he specialized in dermatology and syphilis. He was part of the so-called Vienna School of Dermatology, and studied and worked with several eminent physicians of the time; Ernst Wilhelm (Ritter von) Brücke (1819, Berlin – 1892), Karel (Carl) Freiherr von Rokytanský (1804, Bohemia – 1878), Josef Škoda (1805, Bohemia –1881), Johann Ritter von Oppolzer (1808, Bohemia – 1871), and Ferdinand Ritter von Hebra (1816, Moravia –1880).

In 1863 he became a privat-docent of dermatology and syphilis, and during the following year began work in the histological institute of Carl Wedl.^[2] In 1872 he was named director of the general policlinic, and from 1875 onward, was an associate professor at the university.

A pioneer in tissue pathology, he described the pinpoint bleeding on removal of a psoriasis scale that bears his name: "Auspitz's sign".^[3] In 1885 he published an article involving mycosis fungoides titled "Ein Fall von Granuloma fungoides (Mycosis fungoides Alibert)".^[4]

Together with Philipp Josef Pick (1834-1910), he founded first German-language magazine for dermatology, the "Archiv für Dermatologie und Syphilis" (1869). In 1882 he became a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. In May 1886 he died from a heart condition, and was interred in the Wiener Zentralfriedhof.^[2]