Karl Gustav Himly
Introduction

[thumb\|Karl Gustav Himly](/wiki/File:Karl_Gustav_Himly.jpg "Karl Gustav Himly.jpg")
**Karl Gustav Himly** (30 April 1772 – 22 March 1837\) was a German [surgeon](/wiki/Surgeon "Surgeon") and [ophthalmologist](/wiki/Ophthalmologist "Ophthalmologist") from [Braunschweig](/wiki/Braunschweig "Braunschweig").

He studied medicine at the [University of Würzburg](/wiki/University_of_W%C3%BCrzburg "University of Würzburg") under [Carl Caspar von Siebold](/wiki/Carl_Caspar_von_Siebold "Carl Caspar von Siebold") (1736–1807\), and at the [University of Göttingen](/wiki/University_of_G%C3%B6ttingen "University of Göttingen") with [August Gottlieb Richter](/wiki/August_Gottlieb_Richter "August Gottlieb Richter") (1742–1812\). In 1795 he became a professor at the hospital in Braunschweig, and in 1801 succeeded [Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland](/wiki/Christoph_Wilhelm_Hufeland "Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland") (1762–1836\) as professor of medicine at the hospital in [Jena](/wiki/Jena "Jena").

From 1803 he was a professor of surgery at the University of Göttingen, where he worked with [Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck](/wiki/Konrad_Johann_Martin_Langenbeck "Konrad Johann Martin Langenbeck") (1776–1851\), and his former teacher, August Richter. In 1809, Himly was instrumental in establishing a new hospital in Göttingen. Among his better known students were [Karl Friedrich Heusinger](/wiki/Karl_Friedrich_Heusinger "Karl Friedrich Heusinger") (1792–1883\), [Christian Georg Theodor Ruete](/wiki/Christian_Georg_Theodor_Ruete "Christian Georg Theodor Ruete") (1810–1867\) and [Friedrich August von Ammon](/wiki/Friedrich_August_von_Ammon "Friedrich August von Ammon") (1799–1861\).

Himly was a pioneer in the field of [ophthalmology](/wiki/Ophthalmology "Ophthalmology"), and is credited for introducing the scientific application of [mydriatics](/wiki/Mydriatics "Mydriatics") into European medicine. In addition, he performed early investigations involving the possibilities of [corneal grafting](/wiki/Corneal_transplantation "Corneal transplantation").[http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog532\.shtml](http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog532.shtml) Academician V.P. Filatov and the problems of corneal transplantation In 1802, with [Johann Adam Schmidt](/wiki/Johann_Adam_Schmidt "Johann Adam Schmidt") (1759–1809\), he began publication of "*Ophthalmologische Bibliothek*", a journal that became the first magazine dedicated to ophthalmic medicine in Germany. From 1809 until 1814, he published the "*Journal für praktische Heilkunde*" with Christoph Hufeland.

Himly died in [Göttingen](/wiki/G%C3%B6ttingen "Göttingen") in 1837\. His son, Ernst August Wilhelm Himly (1800–1881\), was a noted [physiologist](/wiki/Physiologist "Physiologist").


How did Karl Gustav Himly's work impact the field of medicine beyond ophthalmology?