Professor Jerzy Kaulbersz, pioneer of Polish gastroenterology

Jerzy Kaulbersz was undoubtedly the father of experimental gastroenterological physiology in Poland. He pioneered the neural and endocrine aspects of the mechanisms controlling gastric and pancreatic secretion by assessing the influence on this secretion of vagal nerves and endocrine factors such as gastrin, enterogastrone, urogastrone, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid and sex hormones as well as bile, hypoxia and X-ray irradiation. He introduced various models of peptic ulcerations such as induced by pylorus-ligation (Shay ulcers) or Mann-Williamson ulcers to test the influence of neuroendocrine factors on the formation and healing of these ulcerations. This review is designed to commemorate the outstanding contribution to experimental gastroenterology of Professor Kaulbersz, who first studied biology in German universities to obtain the title of Doctor of Natural Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Freiburg in 1913 and then completed medical studies at the Medical Faculty of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow receiving the title of Doctor of Universal Medicine (MD) in 1920. He then joined Department of Physiology of Jagiellonian University in Krakow as its assistant and gradually was appointed docent and finally promoted to professor in this Department, working here as chairman from 1934 to 1964 with only 7 years interruption when he spent the time of World War II in USA, working at various departments of experimental gastroenterology and publishing his outstanding papers in most prestigious physiology ournals such as American Journal of Physiology. He possessed comprehensive knowledge of physiology and was gifted to create and organize Cracow Department of Physiology. Moreover he became co-founder of the of Polish Physiological Society, the honorary member of American Physiological Association, honorary member of Polish Society of Gastroenterology and Physiology and received the diploma of Doctor Honoris Causa of Medical Academy in Cracow. This ad memoriam note commemorates his achievements at one hundred twenty anniversary of Prof. Kaulbersz birth with intention to bring his fundamental discoveries to younger physiologists and pharmacologists.