Karl Samuel Ritter Von Basch: the sphygmomanometer and the Empire

The measurement of blood pressure is essential in clinical practice, and sphygmomanometers are a necessary appliance in every medical office. One of the most important men in the development of the sphygmomanometer was the Austrian physician Karl Samuel Ritter Von Basch. Even though Von Basch's name is not widely known, he developed the first non-invasive and clinically acceptable sphygmomanometer and introduced the aneroid manometer for the measurement of blood pressure. He also had an important role in history by witnessing, and documenting, the short lived Second Mexican Empire of Maximilian of Hapsburg. His contributions to Mexico's history and to the study of hypertension make him a notable figure, and one that should be remembered.