Svend Lomholt (18 October 1888 – 17 July 1949) was a Danish physician, dermatologist, and veterinarian. He is recognized for his contributions to dermatology, venereology, and the early application of radiochemical tracing methods in medical research.
Early Life and Education
Lomholt was born in Odense, Denmark. He graduated from secondary school in Odense in 1905 and earned his medical degree in 1911. He developed an early interest in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases and pursued specialized training in dermato-venereology.
Career
From 1915 to 1918, Lomholt served as a resident physician under C. Rasch at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Between 1916 and 1929, he worked as a municipal venereologist, and during the First World War, he led the dermato-venereological department of the Naval Hospital. In 1921, he was appointed as a department physician at the dermatology department of the Finsen Institute. He served as head of the Finsen Laboratory from 1929 to 1931 and became head of the dermatology clinic there in 1932.
Scientific Contributions
Lomholt's doctoral dissertation (1916) was titled "Kvægsølvets Cirkulation i Organismen" (The Circulation of Mercury in the Organism). He subsequently conducted similar studies on bismuth, lead, and gold. In his bismuth research, he was the first to apply the radiochemical tracing method developed by physicist George de Hevesy, using radioactive isotopes to track the fate of substances in the body.
In 1924, together with J. C. Jacobsen, he developed a new method for treating skin diseases using radium emanation embedded in wax plates. In 1928, building on the original ideas of Niels Finsen (his father-in-law), he constructed the so-called Finsen-Lomholt lamp for light therapy treatment of lupus vulgaris and other skin diseases. He also conducted research on local and universal light therapy and developed new apparatus for these treatments.
Publications
Lomholt was a prolific author, producing approximately 150 scientific papers. His Danish-language works included textbooks on sexually transmitted diseases and their treatment (1932, 4th edition 1952; English edition 1946) and on radiation therapy for skin diseases (1936). From 1918 onward, he gave well-attended lectures at the university on sexual hygiene.
Other Activities
In 1930, Lomholt served as the main secretary for the Eighth International Congress of Dermatology in Copenhagen, and in 1931 he became Secretary-General of the Ligue Internationale de Dermatologie. He was also a deputy member of the League of Nations' committee on syphilis treatment, chairman of the International Commission for the Control of Skin Tuberculosis, and a corresponding or honorary member of most foreign scientific societies for dermatology and syphilis.
In 1943, Lomholt became actively involved in a notable legal case concerning Sister Agnes Kasparek of St. Joseph's Hospital in Copenhagen, who had been accused of poisoning attempts against the prioress and vice-prioress. Through a well-conducted press and publication campaign, Lomholt succeeded in clearing the nun of the unfounded suspicion.
Honors
Lomholt was made a Knight of the Dannebrog in 1930 and received the Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn (Cross of Honour) in 1947. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in medicine (dr.med.h.c.) by the University of Riga in 1937.
Family
Lomholt was married first to Marie Kirstine Siegumfeldt Bech (1888–1920) and second to Gudrun Finsen (1900–1948), daughter of Nobel laureate Niels Finsen. His daughter from his first marriage, Kirsten Auken (1913–1968), became a Danish politician. His grandchildren include Margrete Auken and Svend Auken, both prominent Danish politicians.
