Administrative / Biographical History

Charles Lindemann MD was probably born in the 1830s. He was an assistant to Ricord in Paris before being expelled from France in 1870. Lindemann did not have an English qualification, so assisted syphilologists and taught languages, but lived in great poverty with another refugee, a Polish count, Leo von Lychlinski. While in Paris, Lindemann had been interested in the treatment of syphilis, and how treatment altered symptoms. He decided to innoculate himself with the virus and described his symptoms. Lindemann was sub-librarian of Manchester Medical Society from 1879 to 1888 and contributed greatly to the library with a large card catalogue the collection. Lindemann had been in Manchester for a time before he began this mammoth task, and was seen as suitable as he was medical, a good linguist, and above all, a man of leisure. He worked on the catalogue up until his death, but it was never completed. In 1888 Lindemann went on holiday to the Riviera, where he won a large sum of money, but was found dead the next morning.