 For several years he worked as an assistant physician at the Juliusspital in Würzburg, then in 1849 traveled to Paris, where he conducted research of syphilis.In Paris he became engaged in a dispute with Philippe Ricord in regard to the transferability of syphilis.His interests later turned to ophthalmology, and in 1854/55 he studied the subject with Albrecht von Graefe in Berlin.