Kretschmer, Ernest

Kretschmer, Ernest (krĕch`mər), 1888–1964, German psychiatrist, educated at Tübingen, Hamburg, and Münich (M.D., 1913). He served as director of the neurological clinic of the Univ. of Marburg (1926–46) and in 1946 became the director of the neurological clinic of the Univ. of Tübingen. He emphasized the morphological-physiological-psychological unity of the individual, maintaining that individuals' temperamental reactions are reflections of their body types. He is best known for his work on the subject, Physique and Character (1925).