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Professor von Langenbeck, as a practical surgeon, is unrivalled in Germany. We have seldom seen a man so enthusiastically devoted to any pursuit, or who brought to the profession of surgery more capability of excelling in it.... As an operator, he is unrivalled in his own country, and we are not aware that he is excelled in any. He is clear and decisive in his judgments.

This account certainly places von Langenbeck on a very high pedestal, and reveals the true reasons of his great popularity as a teacher. Upon a close analysis these reasons may be stated thus: they were whole-heartedness in his chosen work; readiness to sacrifice himself, if necessary, in order to secure every possible advantage for his pupils; and the possession of the rare gift of knowing how best to impart knowledge to those who show a strong desire to acquire it. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that von Langenbeck was such a favorite with such pupils as Hueter, Trendelenburg, Gurlt, Luecke, von Esmarch and Billroth, all of whom in time acquired celebrity as surgeons.