253 
IN MEMORIAM. 
WILHELM DONITZ. 
Born 27 June, 1838, in Berlin. 
Died 12 March, 1912, in Berlin. 
(With Portrait, Plate XIII.) 
Friedrich Karl Wilhelm Donitz, the son of Christoph and 
Caroline Donitz, was born on the 27th June, 1838, in Berlin. 
As a boy he showed marked taste for natural history and ability as 
a draughtsman. He pursued his medical studies in 1859-64, and 
became assistant to Reichert at the Anatomical Institute, Berlin. 
During this period he occupied himself with investigations relating 
to histology, comparative anatomy, general zoology and biology, and 
teratology. His results were of such a character that in 1873 the title 
of Professor was conferred upon him by his government and in the same 
year he was called to fill the Chair of Anatomy in the newly-established 
Academy of Medicine in Tokio. Before proceeding to Japan he married 
Fraulein Martha Schirmeister. 
Anatomical dissection had not until then been practised in Japan, 
consequently with the arrival of Donitz a new era was opened for 
medical science in that country, plenty of material being available in 
view of the frequent executions which took place by hanging. He next 
occupied himself with sanitary administration especially in combatting 
typhoid fever and cholera and securing good water supplies. Moreover, 
he had much to do with the administration of various hospitals and was 
engaged actively in practice both as a physician and surgeon. In 1877 
he went to Nagasaki owing to the outbreak of civil war. Here thousands 
of wounded were sheltered in the large temples and were afterwards 
sent by sea and under his care to Tokio. During a stay of thirteen 
years in Japan he travelled about and resided in different parts of 
