GRAFE

grafe, karl ferdinand von (1787-1840), german surgeon, was born at warsaw on the 8th of march 1787. he studied medicine at halle and leipzig, and after obtaining licence from the leipzig university, he was in 1807 appointed private physician to duke alexius of anhalt-bernburg. in 1811 he became professor of surgery and director of the surgical clinic at berlin, and during the war with napoleon he was superintendent of the military hospitals. when peace was concluded in 1815, he resumed his professorial duties. he was also appointed physician to the general staff of the army, and he became a director of the friedrich wilhelm institute and of the medico-chirurgical academy. he died suddenly on the 4th of july 1840 at hanover, whither he had been called to operate on the eyes of the crown prince. grafe did much to advance the practice of surgery in germany, especially in the treatment of wounds. he improved the rhinoplastic process, and its revival was chiefly due to him. his lectures at the university of berlin attracted students from all parts of europe. the following are his principal works: _normen fur die ablosung grosser gliedmassen_ (berlin, 1812); _rhinoplastik_ (1818); _neue beitrage zur kunst theile des angesichts organisch zu ersetzen_ (1821); _die epidemisch-kontagiose augenblennorrhoe agyptens in den europaischen befreiungsheeren_ (1824); and _jahresberichte uber das klinisch-chirurgisch-augenarztliche institut der universitat zu berlin_ (1817-1834). he also edited, with ph. von walther, the _journal fur chirurgie und augenheilkunde_. see e. michaelis, _karl ferdinand von grafe in seiner 30 jahrigen wirken fur staat und wissenschaft_ (berlin, 1840).