Narath was born in Vienna and studied medicine there, graduating in 1890. He then became an assistant of anatomy under
Emil Zuckerkandl until 1891. He then trained in surgery and in 1893 he became an assistant at the university clinic under
Theodor Billroth (1829-1894) and
Carl Gussenbauer at the
University of Vienna, and from 1896 to 1906 was a professor of surgery at
Utrecht succeeding
Anton Eiselsberg who had moved to Konigsberg. In 1906 he succeeded
Vincenz Czerny (1842-1916) as chair of surgery at the
University of Heidelberg surgical clinic. He resigned this position in 1910 for health reasons, but continued to edit the
Deutsche Zeitschrift fur Chirurgie and contribute articles to scientific publications during the ensuing years. Narath made contributions in his studies involving the structure of
bronchial systems, as well as in investigations of
hernias. His name is lent to "Narath’s
femoral hernia" (prevascular hernia), being described as a hernia behind the
femoral vessels that is due to displacement of the
psoas muscle in patients with
congenital hip dislocation. Narath was the author of papers on
varicocele surgery,
pneumatocele parotid,
retroperitoneal lymph cysts and
omentum-plasty, to name a few. == References ==