Emil von Behring

Emil von Behring (15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917) was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first one awarded, for his discovery of a diphtheria antitoxin. He was widely known as a "saviour of children," as diphtheria used to be a major cause of child death. He was ennobled in 1901 for services to medicine.

Early life and education

Emil Adolf von Behring was born in Hansdorf, Prussia (now Poland). He was the eldest son of a schoolmaster in a large family. His education was supported by the church, and he enrolled at the Army Medical College in Berlin in 1874.

Career

After passing the examination, Behring served as a military doctor until 1889, when he became an assistant at the Institute for Infectious Diseases. Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato jointly discovered in 1890 a therapy for diphtheria and tetanus. He went on to develop an antitoxin for diphtheria, which he called "T-antitoxin", following a successful demonstration of its effectiveness in animals and humans.

Legacy

Behring's name is widely known in connection with the Behring's law of immunity and the Behring's test for the detection of diphtheria antitoxin. His work on diphtheria antitoxin is considered a milestone in the history of medicine and immunology.

See also

• List of Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine
• History of medicine
• Immunology

References

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External links

• Emil von Behring - Facts on NobelPrize.org

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