Is there a German history of evidence-based medicine? Methodic standards of therapeutic research in the early 20th century and Paul Martini's Methodology of therapeutic investigation

摘要

The article addresses the history of evidence-based medicine in Germany. Its aim was to reconstruct the standard of clinical-therapeutic investigation in Germany at the beginning of the 20 (th) century. By a historical investigation of five important German general medical journals for the time between 1918 and 1932 an overview of the situation of clinical investigation is given. 268 clinical trails are identified, and are analysed in view of their methodological design. Heterogeneous results are found: While few examples of sophisticated methodology exist, the design of the majority of the studies is poor. A response to the situation described can be seen in Paul Martini's book "Methodology of Therapeutic Investigation", first published in 1932. Paul Martini's biography, his criticism of the situation of clinical-therapeutic investigation of his time, the major points of his methodology and the reception of the book in Germany and abroad are described.