Willem Einthoven

Willem Einthoven (May 21, 1860 – September 29, 1927) was a Dutch physician and physiologist. He is best known for the development of the electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and for the introduction of the term electrocardiography.

Pronunciation

• Willem: /ˈwɪləm/
• Einthoven: /ˈaɪnθoʊvən/

Etymology

The name Willem is of Germanic origin, meaning "will, desire" and "helmet, protection". Einthoven is a Dutch surname, likely of toponymic origin, but the exact etymology is unknown.

Biography

Willem Einthoven was born in Semarang on Java in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), the son of a doctor. After the death of his father, his mother returned to the Netherlands with her children in 1870. Einthoven completed his high school education in Utrecht, then went on to study medicine at the University of Utrecht.

In 1886, he became a professor at the University of Leiden, where he introduced the term "electrocardiogram". In 1902, he became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1924 for his development of the electrocardiogram.

Related Terms

• Electrocardiogram
• Electrocardiography
• Physician
• Physiologist
• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Willem Einthoven
• Wikipedia's article - Willem Einthoven

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