UNIVERSITAT BERN 3000 BERN, den April 21, 1970THEODOR KOCHER INSTITUT Freiestrasse 1Tel. 23 43 22Karel B. Absolon, MDCardiopulmonary InstituteMethodist HospitalP.O. Box 5999Dallas, Texas 75222U S ADear Sir,In your Letter of March 75th to the university ofBerne you asked for information about Prof... Theodor Kocher.Here. are some indications of his activities from 1865 to 1872.Theodor Kocher accomplished his medical studies at theUniversity of Berne early in 1865 with his doctoral thesisand. an excellent final examination (summa cum laude). He hadworked. out his thesis "Die Behandlung der crouposen Pneumonie"mit Verath&um Praparaten" under the sup pervision of Profs A.Briemer the internis of the medical Taculty at. that time. Inoes 1865. _Briemer was offered a enalr an 4urieh,; which heaccept bed. Kocher followed him as an assistant. But in autumn ofthe same year he! Teft Zurich 'for. a, journey. through Bur ope. i aeimprove his medical knowledge. He went 'first to Berlin, wherehe met the surgeon Langenbeck, then he stayed "in London untilFuly 1866. He was "impressed by the surgeons Th. Backer-Brown,Thomas Spencer-Wells and Paget. It is probably there that hedecided to specialize in surgery. Finally he went to Paris tosee the surgeons Auguste Welaton, Aristide Verneuil. He also metLouis Pasteur... In October 1866 he was back in Berne as anassistant with Prof. Licke, the newly appointed surgeon. Kocherworked with him till September 1869 and introduced Lister'santiseptic methods inte' the hospital with success..He .thenpractised by himself until he accepted. the chair, of 'surgery atthe university of Berne in March 1872. ,I hope this information can be useful. to you.sincerely yours(Prof; P. Veo Tavel)