Center for Interdisciplinary Research
in Environmental Exposures and Health

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Gotfred E. Bentzen (1852 - 1937) was my great grandfather. He was stadsfysikus i Kristiania, i.e., city physician for Kristiania, as Oslo (Norway) used to be known. He worked for a time with the famous Bavarian hygienist Max von Pettenkofer. He was a delegate to the 11th International Sanitary Conference, held in Paris in 1903.

Some of his publications:

• Bentzen GE. Bidrag til ledhulernes udviklingshistorie. (C. r. Contributions à l'histoire du développement des cavités articulaires, No. 27.) Nord. med. Ark. 1875; vii, no. 25, 1-6, 1 pl. [Subject: joints]
• Bentzen GE. Die Kohlensäure in der Grundluft. Ztschr. f. Biol. 1882; xviii, 446-469 [Subject: Carbonic acid in ground air]
• Bentzen GE. Untersuchungen über die Ventilation der zwei Hörsäle im hygienischen Institute zu München. Ztschr. f. Biol. 1882; xviii, 470-487 [Subject: Ventilation of particular buildings]
• Bentzen GE. Lysgasforgiftning af samtlige beboere af et 3 etages hus uden gas-ledning. Nord. med. Ark. 1884; xvi, no. 3, 1-11 [Subject: Gas, Illuminating, Toxicology of. Editorial: Empoisonnement, par le gaz d'éclairage, de la totalité des habitants d'une maison à trois étages, dépourvue de conduite de gaz. C.-r., no. 8, 7]. abstract
• Bentzen GE. To Tilfælde af Kriminel Atropinforgiftning. Norsk Mag. f. Lægevidensk. 1885; xv, 497-500. [Subject: Atropine, Toxicology of.] abstract
• Bentzen GE. Aarbog for Norsk Forening for Sundhedspleie, 1886. Kristiania: A. Cammermeyer, 1887. Edition viii, 95 pp.
• Bentzen GE. Nogle bemerkninger om troske, navnlig dens idiopatiske optræden hos voksne. Tidsskr. f. d. norske Lægefor. 1890; x, 162-167 [Subject: Aphthæ. Editorial: Some remarks on thrush, especially its idiopathic appearance among the people]. abstract
• Bentzen GE. Difteriens behandling i Kjobenhavn, Hamburg og Berlin. Tidsskr. f. d. norske Lægefor. 1890; x, 335-344 [Subject: Diphtheria, Treatment of.]
• Bentzen GE. Et Par Bemærkninger om Undersogelse af Mundog Svælghulen. Norsk Mag. f. Lægevidensk. 1890; 4. R., v, 23-25. [Subject: Mouth, Examination and semeiology of. Editorial: On examination of cavities of mouth and pharynx]
• Bentzen GE. Cheyne-Stokes respiration under nervefeber og difteri med udgang i helbredelse. Tidsskr. f. d. norske Lægefor. 1891; xi, 49-59 [Subject: Diphtheria, Complications and sequelæ of.]
• Bentzen GE. Brunspraglet hud hos en fem aar gammel gut. Tidsskr. f. d. norske Lægefor. 1891; xi, 290-293 [Subject: Skin, Discoloration of. Editorial: Case of skin pigmentation in brows of a boy 5 years old]
• Bentzen GE, Getz B, Delgobe Ch. Études sur la répression de la prostitution et la lutte contre les maladies vénériennes en Norvège. Publiées par le comité central des sociétés norvégiennes pour le relèvement de la moralité. (Traduction par M. Ch. Delgobe). Christiania, 1899. Imprimerie Steen. 8. 70 S. A.
• Bentzen GE. Modarbeidelsen af de vigtigere akute smitsomme sygdomme og hidtil vunde resultater. Norsk Mag. f. Lægevidensk. 1903; 5. R., 1, 1001-1039 [La lutte contre les principales maladies contagieuses aiguës, et les resultants atteints jusqu’ ici.]
• Bentzen GE. Uimodtagelighed for mæslinger i spædbarnsalderen. Norsk mag. laegevid. 1905; 5. R., 3: 713-21 [Subject: Measles Immunity. The immunization of small children from measles]. abstract
• Bentzen GE. Betragtninger over skolen og undervisningen fra en læges standpunkt. Tidsskr. f. d. norske Lægefor. 1906; xxvi, 538: 579 [Subject: Schools, Hygiene of. Editorial: Observations on schools and education from a medical standpoint].abstract
• Bentzen, G.E. Betragtninger over skolen og undervisningen fra en læges standpunkt : foredrag i Pædagogisk Samfund i Kristiania, mars 1906. Kristiania : Centraltrykkeriet, 1906.
• Bentzen GE. [Inspection of foods and state laboratories] Tidsskr. f. d. norske Lægefor. 1907, xxvi, 1044-1052.

Probably by him:

• Bentzen. Note sur les principales dispositions prises en Norvège relativement a la question du logement dans ses rapports avec la protection de la santé publique. Bulletin Mensuel de l’Office international d’hygiene publique 1921, xiii, 581-585.
• Bentzen. Le charbon en Norvège. Bulletin Mensuel de l’Office international d’hygiene publique 1921, xiii, 1237-1239.

Below is the first page from one of his two 1882 papers from Pettenkofer's institute, written based on Pettenkofer's roughly miasma-based theories. Public health shifted in the late 1800s from thinking of disease as caused by miasma to the germ theory.

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