Charles Wolferth

Charles Christian Wolferth (May 18, 1887 - December 25, 1965) was an American physician known for his significant contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine.
==Early Life and Education==
Charles Wolferth was born in New Jersey at Wolferth Station, named after his grandfather, and was of German origin. His father, John Christian Wolferth (1861-1929), was a banker and farmer, and collaborated in federal agricultural research. He later attended Princeton University, where he excelled in academics and athletics, playing football and becoming a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Originally intending to pursue a career in law, he changed his course and decided to pursue medicine. In 1912, he obtained his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected to the AΩA society and served as the president of his class.
==Career==
Upon completing his medical education, Wolferth served as an intern and resident in Clinical Pathology at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. In 1915-1916, he became the first Chief Medical Resident at the hospital. His interest in cardiovascular diseases grew during his service as a Major and Chief of the Medical Service at Base Hospital No. 31 during World War I, stationed in Contrexéville, France. After the war, he spent time in England, where he worked on electrocardiography in Sir Thomas Lewis' laboratory.
Upon his return to Philadelphia in 1919, Wolferth joined the University of Pennsylvania Hospital and became associated with Dr. Alfred Stengel, who had secured an electrocardiograph for the institution. Due to his expertise in the new diagnostic technique, Wolferth was asked by Dr. Stengel to organize a cardiovascular laboratory. He also established a cardiovascular clinic, modeled after those he had seen in London. By 1928, the Edward C. Robinette Foundation for Cardiovascular Research was established, with Wolferth as its head. Throughout his career, he collaborated with several well-known physicians, contributing significantly to research and knowledge in the field of cardiology.
Charles Wolferth became a member of several professional organizations, including the American Clinical and Climatological Association, the Association of American Physicians, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and the Interurban Clinical Club. 
On Christmas Day, 1965, Charles Christian Wolferth died of a ruptured aorta, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the field of cardiovascular medicine and the practice of compassionate patient care.
==Publications and Research==
Dr. Wolferth's first publications on cardiovascular diseases appeared in 1920, and he continued to publish extensively, contributing over 140 subsequent papers that made significant contributions to medical knowledge. Some of his notable research topics included arrhythmias, anorexia, hypertension, the anginal syndrome, the formation of heart sounds, the diagnosis of infarction by chest leads, experimental myocardial ischemia, bundle branch block, and more. He also explored surgical procedures for congenital, rheumatic, and coronary heart diseases, suggesting the possibility of mitral valve surgery long before it was commonly performed.
Category:1887 births
Category:People from New Jersey
Category:American people
Category:Princeton University alumni
Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni
Category:Physicians