[Christian Wisbech--his hospital and surgery in the 1820s].

Christian Wisbech (1801-1869) was medical superintendent of "Bergen civile Sygehus" during the period 1825-1848. Some of his annual reports have been published. The hospital had 56 beds. The permanent staff included one "spisemester" (caterer) and two "sygeopvartersker" (nurses). Christian Wisbech's medicine was based on strict scientific principles and pathological anatomy. A post-mortem was performed on the deceased. Other current trends in medical practice at that time were foreign to him. It is assumed that he was inspired by Giovanni Morgagni (1682-1771) and John Hunter (1728-1793). His treatment was partly medical and partly surgical. Wisbech treated surprisingly few injuries. A possible explanation is the large number of "barbers and surgeons" in Bergen at that time. It was probably a centuries-long tradition among the population to go to such persons to be treated for broken bones, wounds and other complaints.