Emil von Behring

Emil von Behring (German: [ˈeːmiːl fɔn ˈbeːʁɪŋ] ; Emil Adolf von Behring: born Emil Adolf Behring; 15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917), was a German physiologist. In 1901, he received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria, by which he has opened a new road in the domain of medical science and thereby placed in the hands of the physician a victorious weapon against illness and deaths". He was widely known as a "saviour of children", as diphtheria used to be a major cause of child death. His work with the disease, as well as tetanus, has come to bring him most of his fame and acknowledgment. He was honoured with Prussian nobility in 1901, henceforth being known by the surname "von Behring".

Biography

Behring was born in Hansdorf, Kreis Rosenberg, Province of Prussia (now Ławice, Iława County, Poland). His father was a schoolmaster; the family had 13 children.

Between 1874 and 1878, Emil von Behring studied medicine at the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy in Berlin, an institution established for the training of military physicians. His enrollment there was largely due to financial necessity, as his family could not afford a civilian university education. During his studies, Behring conducted early research on the antiseptic properties of iodoform, reflecting the medical preoccupation of the time with preventing infection in surgical practice.