Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915)

Leukemia was described in the intervening years but it was 1879 before Paul Ehrlich published his method for staining blood films. Paul Ehrlich, German scientist who won Nobel Prize winner in 1908.

He is credited with the first description of the human basophil in 1879. He is also noted for his work in immunology and chemotherapy.

Paul Ehrlich was born in a Jewish family on 14 March 1854 in Strehlen, Prussia. As a schoolboy and student of medicine he was interested in staining microscopic tissue substances.

Ehrlich was restless and uninspired student, studying at the University of Breslau, Strasburg, Freiburg and Leipzig in the 1870s. His tutor at the University of Strasburg was the first professor to introduce the chemical outlook into medicine. Under his supervision, Ehrlich discovered a new variety of mastcells through his staining experiments.

He earned a medical degree from Leipzig I 1878. Later he became an assistant in the medical clinic of the University of Berlin and continued his research on dyes. During his term at Charite hospital in Berlin, Ehrlich reputation as an expert stainer grew. His discovery of tubercule bacilli led him to collaboration with Robert Koch.

He also developed the first drug designed to kill a particular kind of disease causing microorganisms inside the body.

Ehrlich had a slight stroke on December 1914, and then, while on vacation in Bad Homburg suffered a second strike, which killed him on August 20, 1915.
Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915)