In 1848 he earned his medical doctorate from the University of Giessen, and from 1848 to 1861 served as a military physician with a Hessian troop outfit. During this time he also worked at a small hospital in Darmstadt that he co-founded.
In 1848, he earned his medical degree and began serving as a military physician for a Hessian troop outfit.  He also established a small hospital in Darmstadt with a partner.