Walter H. Abelmann, professor of medicine, emeritus, 89
Walter H. Abelmann, professor of medicine emeritus at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and member of the faculty of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences Technology (HST), died on Jan. 6. He was 89. Abelmann was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, in 1921. After being educated in Switzerland, he immigrated to the United States in 1939. He received an A.B. from Harvard in 1943 and an M.D. from the University of Rochester in 1946. Abelmann’s research focused on the physiology and the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system, and led to the recognition and definition of the high cardiac output states in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, bacterial pneumonia, disorders of the blood, and nutritional deficiencies. He published more than 260 scientific papers and edited several books. In addition, Abelmann was a consultant to several Boston-area hospitals and universities. At HMS, Abelmann taught basic as well as clinical courses, including pathophysiology, physical diagnosis, internal medicine,...