The man Burrill Bernard Crohn is known for his work in the field of gastroenterology, specifically for identifying the disease that has become his namesake; Crohns disease. He worked in New York at the Mount Sinai Hospital with two colleagues, Dr. Gordon Oppenheimer and Dr. Leon Ginzburg, and together the three published their findings on this new disease in the field of gastroenterology.
Crohns, as it became known, was essentially a condition affecting primarily the large intestine. Patients afflicted with this disease would experience inflammation in the colon, rectum, stomach, and sometimes even the mouth. This swelling would usually be rather deep and difficult to treat, even with antibiotics. The possibility of the surgical removal of the colon offers some hope of relief but there is a strong chance that the symptoms will reoccur since the inflammation is not restricted to the larger intestine.
How Crohn became famous was mostly due to his last name starting with a “C.” When the findings made by him and his colleagues were published, they were done so in a paper called, “Regional Iletis: A New Clinical Entity.” This was the first time that the description of this condition had been published in a popular medical journal, and because his name came first alphabetically, this was how the disease was eventually named.
When Crohn finally retired, it was the end of a long and highly successful career. As a result of his success in working with inflammatory bowel disease, he was promoted to the position of chief of the gastroenterology department at Mount Sinai Hospital. He became quite famous due to the credit given to him regarding his findings in his field, and he was able to treat patients from all around the world who came to see him for help. Once he retired, however, he ceased most communications with the outside world.
While Crohn was considered to be hugely successful in his field, he was frustrated by an inability to prove a theory he had relating to the cause of the disease that bears his name. He tried to make a link between a pathogen that is also found in cattle who suffer from Johne’s disease. Technology at the time was not sophisticated enough for him to prove his theories, but in recent years there has been greater evidence supporting his initial theories, meaning that his work was on the right track all along.
Jeremy Larson is a foremost expert in the acid reflux medication field. His work has been extensively published in various online publications in this area. For more information on the treatment for acid reflux, visit remedyforacidreflux.com.
