Samuel Siegfried Karl von Basch

From 1857 he studied chemistry at the laboratory of Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke in Vienna, and five years later began the practice of medicine.

Basch remained with Maximilian until the emperor's execution by firing squad at Querétaro on 19 June 1867.

When Maximilian realized that a few days at the most would decide his fate, he commissioned Basch, Lieutenant Ernst Pitner, and Major Becker to keep daily records of all that happened.

When the emperor and his entourage were betrayed to Benito Juárez by Colonel Miguel Lopez on 14 May 1867, Basch rushed to saddle his horse, but was at once overpowered by the Mexicans.

In addition, he has written for technical journals a number of articles on the histology of the duodenum, the anatomy of the urinary bladder, and the physiological effects of nicotine.