1826-1889

German physician who established sanitariums to cure tuberculosis. Contracting tuberculosis as a young botany student, Brehmer was instructed by his physician to seek a healthier climate. He journeyed to the Himalayas to study plants and to rid himself of the disease. When he returned cured, he decided to study medicine and wrote a doctoral dissertation, "Tuberculosis is a Curable Disease," that outlined plans for a treatment facility featuring proper nutrition, fresh air, exercise, rest, and good care. In 1859 he established a sanitarium among the fir trees of Gorbersdorf, Silesia, in central Europe. The success of his facility inspired the formation of similar sanitariums in hundreds of mountain and seaside resorts worldwide.